The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the availability of grant funding and technical assistance for Connecticut municipalities and regions through a Sustainable Materials Management Round 2 (SMMR2) Grant Program.
Donor Name: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
State: Connecticut
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/27/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
DEEP invites proposals seeking grant funds to help municipalities, regional waste authorities (RWAs), regional councils of governments (COGs), and similar entities in developing and implementing a wide variety of waste diversion and/or reduction programs and initiatives. Supporting municipalities that want to pursue these strategies will help to alleviate the state’s waste disposal capacity crisis by reducing the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) tonnage that may be disposed of at out-of-state locations (landfills and waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities) as in-state WTE capacity declines. These strategies also help to advance the statewide 60% diversion rate set forth in the Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy (CMMS).
Eligible Proposals
- Category 1: Grant Awards for Organics Diversion/Unit-Based Pricing – anticipated $5 million available
- DEEP is seeking to award grants to support Connecticut municipalities in developing and implementing source-separated organics programs. Food scraps may be diverted through source separation, collection, and transportation to anaerobic digesters, commercial compost facilities, and other properly permitted organics processing facilities. Food scrap collection can include separated curbside collection, co-collection (where residents segregate their food scraps in designated, colored bags and place them in their trash bin for pickup), strategically located satellite collection infrastructure, or transfer station collection as part of a cohesive community program. DEEP will prioritize proposals which include a mandatory Unit-Based Pricing (UBP) structure. UBP and organics/food scraps diversion programs are natural complements to one another. UBP programs are proven to increase participation in food scrap collection programs by creating an incentive for residents to participate in order to lower their MSW generation. UBP programs also generate savings on waste disposal costs, which can help to offset any incremental costs of food scraps collection.
- Category 2: Grant Awards for Innovative Waste Management Programs and Initiatives and Organizational Start-Up Costs – anticipate $2.5 million available
- DEEP is seeking to award grant funds to eligible applicants for the development of innovative waste management programs and initiatives designed to more efficiently and effectively handle the state’s multiple waste streams. Emphasis on applications for both equipment and programs/initiatives should be focused on waste reduction and diversion opportunities beyond those required by state law, and for redirecting components of the MSW and C&D waste streams from traditional disposal to alternative reuse and recycling.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for SMM Round 2 Grant funding, an Applicant must be a Connecticut municipality, a group of Connecticut municipalities, or a Connecticut regional entity (council of government, regional planning agency, resource recovery/waste authority, etc.). All applicants are encouraged, but not required, to join the Connecticut Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management (CCSMM), which makes available information, resources, technical assistance and networking for municipal members. Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to participate in Sustainable CT to take advantage of additional sustainable materials management support, resources, and funding. Environmental compliance history may impact eligibility, and in considering this factor DEEP may apply the standards and process set out in CGS Section 22a6m, with other applicable environmental regulations or statutes. In addition, prior SMM grant recipients for pilot programs are not eligible to apply for funding to continue either existing pilot programs or restart past completed pilot programs unless they are redesigned to be permanent in nature.
For more information, visit DEEP.
