The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking applications proposing projects that inform the public about new or existing residential or community recycling programs; provide information about the recycled materials that are accepted as part of a residential or community recycling program that provides for the separate collection of residential solid waste from recycled material; and increases collection rates and decreases contamination in residential and community recycling programs.
Donor Name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/15/2022
Size of the Grant:$2,000,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
Projects will improve consumer recycling education with the goal of achieving separate collection of recycled material across the nation, maximizing the efficient reuse of materials, and identifying strategies that otherwise result in an increase in volume of recyclable materials. The EPA also recognizes and encourages applications that demonstrate evidence-based messaging and strategies associated with effective communication campaigns designed to increase prevention, reuse, repair, remanufacture, recycling, anaerobic digestion, and composting in communities and/or decrease contamination in the recycling stream. This approach to community-informed messaging goes beyond education only by emphasizing researching the audience, building trust, and reducing audience barriers while emphasizing benefits for desired action.
The Recycling Education and Outreach grant program has the following goals:
- Fund a range of projects that will increase waste prevention activities, increase the collection of recyclable materials and program participation rates, and decrease contamination of the recycling stream.
- Fund projects that focus on commonly recycled materials such as municipal solid waste (e.g., plastics, aluminum, paper, glass, etc.), including food waste and organics.
- Fund projects and provide tools and technical assistance that will lead to long-term, sustained change, benefits, and support beyond the life of the grant.
Program Tracks
Under this RFA, EPA will fund projects under two tracks:
- Track 1: Projects that benefit disadvantaged communities. EPA anticipates approximately 40% (or $12,000,000) of the funding will be awarded to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.
- Track 2: Projects that benefit all other communities that do not meet the definition of disadvantaged communities.
Applications must clearly indicate if the proposed project(s) fall under Track 1 or Track 2. To qualify for Track 1, applications must demonstrate that the proposed project or project(s) will benefit a community that meets the definition of disadvantaged community. EPA has different tools available to help determine whether a community meets this definition. For example, an application can include a screenshot of CEJST along with a brief narrative to illustrate that the proposed project will benefit disadvantaged communities. EPA reserves the right to determine under which track the application falls under based on the justification provided in the application.
All projects must encourage the collection of recycled materials that are sold to an existing or developing market, (which may also include the prevention, reduction, or diversion of waste and improve the reuse, repair, and remanufacture of materials before materials enter the recycling system) and must achieve one or more of the following objectives:
- Inform the public about residential or community recycling programs;
- Provide information about the recycled materials that are accepted as part of a residential or community recycling program that provides for the separate collection of residential solid waste from recycled material; and/or
- Increase collection rates and decrease contamination in residential and community recycling programs.
Funding Information
The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $30,000,000. The EPA anticipates awarding at least one award per EPA region, depending on the availability of funds, quantity and quality of the applications received, and other applicable considerations. The minimum individual award is $250,000 and the maximum individual award is $2,000,000 for the grant period, which is up to three years.
Criteria
An entity that is eligible to receive a grant under the grant program is—
- a U.S. State, including the District of Columbia;
- Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentality thereof exclusive of local governments
- a unit of local government as defined in the Local government provision of 2 CFR 200.1;
- an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
- a Native Hawaiian organization (as defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517));
- the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;
- the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;
- a nonprofit organization; or
- a public-private partnership
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
