NEW ORLEANS - The City of New Orleans has requested a no-cost extension from the EPA for its Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant, shifting the focus toward education, outreach, and long-term planning instead of a massive cart deployment. Residents can already request a free recycling cart by calling 311.

 

The original proposal, submitted under the previous administration, allocated over $5.4 million for this phase, including: 

• $4,565,000 for 83,000 residential recycling carts 

• $468,000 for education and outreach tied to cart rollout 

• $350,000 for a solid waste master plan 

• $49,609 for City staff support 

City leaders raised concerns that the funding heavily prioritized cart distribution, with comparatively limited investment in education and long-term system planning, which are critical to sustainability and, without it, would jeopardize success.

 

During recent discussions, the EPA insisted Mayor Helena Moreno submit a letter affirming completion of all original grant objectives, including cart purchases, and to guarantee City Council approval of the related contract within one business day. This request is inappropriate, as the Mayor cannot legally guarantee actions by the independent City Council. The email correspondence from the EPA is attached.

 

EPA SWIFR Grant No-Cost Time Extension Stanton Email

 

The Mayor moved forward with an extension request with what she could honestly and legally guarantee. She also received a letter of support from Congressman Troy Carter. Both letters are attached.

 

EPA SWIFR Letter from Mayor Moreno and Congressman Troy Carter

 

It is also clear that education is foundational to recycling success. In fact, due to high contamination rates, only about 2% of materials placed in recycling are currently accepted, with most sent to landfills. 

 

The City’s revised approach prioritizes stronger public education and outreach, completion of a solid waste master plan, and development of a financially and operationally sustainable recycling system. This is an important first step toward improving recycling outcomes and affirm the mayor’s commitment to working with federal partners and advocates to achieve lasting results. 

 

“I hope that EPA grants our extension," Mayor Helena Moreno said. "But more importantly, I look forward to working with passionate advocates to expand recycling opportunities. This is just a starting point and I believe we can all come together and produce a meaningful plan to meet priorities.” 

 

###