EGLE recycling grant opportunities for 2022
A total of $15 million is currently available for recycling grant projects in fiscal year 2022. These grants, enabled by the Renew Michigan Fund, are an important mechanism for achieving EGLE’s priorities of equitable and inclusive support to all Michigan communities and businesses, and the grants support Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s climate change priorities through measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycling prevents the generation of greenhouse gases at several points along the lifecycle of a product, including avoided energy consumption associated with the mining and extraction of virgin materials and reduced methane emissions from landfills. Achieving a 45 percent recycling rate in Michigan will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This corresponds to the annual energy consumption of more than 760,000 households (approximately 20 percent of Michigan households), or the annual emissions of nearly 1.5 million passenger vehicles.
Additionally, these grants are important to facilitate the safe management of waste materials and help to maintain the flow of vital raw materials for Michigan manufacturing by protecting our domestic supply chains. Increasing access to recycling opportunities and expanding local recycling end-use markets also has other positive impacts including water savings, energy savings, local job creation, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Grants will be offered in the following categories:
-
Michigan Recycling Infrastructure Grants: These grants work to increase collection and processing capacity of recyclable materials or food waste and increase access and participation rates in recycling or food waste composting programs while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across Michigan and supporting Governor Whitmer’s climate change priorities through measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
-
Michigan Recycling Market Development Grants: These grants are designed to create new markets or expand existing markets and create supply chains for recycled materials, as well as stimulate demand for recycled materials and recycled content products and strong supply chains to feed that demand. In addition, these grants aim to assist businesses that manufacture, market, and use recycled-content products while building diversity, equity, and inclusion. These grants will also commercialize technologies to replace materials with recycled content; to improve the quality, increase the quantity, and grow demand for utilizing recycled materials in manufacturing or other uses; and facilitate research and development of new uses for recycled materials.
-
Michigan Small Community Education Grants: These grants are designed to help small communities access education and outreach resources to improve local recycling programs, reduce contamination, and further educate residents. This grant program is a collaboration between EGLE and The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit action agent transforming the national residential recycling system for good.
Please see the full Request for Proposals for eligibility criteria, due dates, and more details.
For questions on the Michigan Market Development Grants, please contact Matt Flechter at FlechterM@Michigan.gov or 517-614-7353. For questions on the Michigan Recycling Infrastructure or Small Community Education Grants, please contact Emily Freeman at FreemanE@Michigan.gov or 517-256-9466.
|
