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Today, EPA announced over $90 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expand recycling infrastructure and education across the nation. This follows an announcement of $100 million for all 56 states and territories and 25 communities as part of the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for States and Territories and SWIFR for Communities.
EPA selected 59 Tribal Nations and Intertribal Consortia to receive more than $60 million in funding under the newly created SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia funding opportunity to encourage environmentally sound post-consumer materials management.
The Agency also selected 25 organizations to receive grants totaling more than $33 million under the newly created Recycling Education and Outreach grant program. The aim is to inform the public about recycling programs and the materials accepted by those programs, increase recycling participation, and decrease contamination in the recycling stream.
To learn more about these funding opportunities, read our America Recycles Day press announcement.
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EPA Launches New Study with the National Academy of Sciences to Assess the Costs of Recycling Programs
EPA has started working with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) on a Congressionally-mandated report that focuses on the costs of recycling programs to governmental entities.
The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed picture of how cities, counties, states, and Tribes operate and fund recycling activities in their communities, as well as their decision-making processes along the way. Specifically, this report seeks to understand the financial and economic mechanisms that entities consider when paying for recycling programs (and if they don’t, the barriers to doing so), how these entities actively engage with recycling markets (if at all), and how their actions and economic calculations affect the implementation of their local recycling programs.
With a mission that revolves around independent and unbiased reporting, NASEM conducts studies with strict rules and regulations. Therefore, while EPA had a direct role in scoping out this project, the Agency will not be developing the actual report and will not see the finished study until the period of performance ends in summer 2025. However, EPA will participate in monthly meetings throughout the period of performance to provide suggestions, insight, and feedback where requested.
NASEM is currently in the process of establishing its expert committee to conduct the study.
Click here to learn more about this project.
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Webinar: Minding the Gap: Consumer Awareness of Packaging Technologies & Food Waste Reduction
November 16, 2023
12:00-1:00pm EST
This webinar by AMERIPEN and Environmental Research and Education Foundation will present a summary of data conducted by Michigan State University’s School of Packaging. The study explores consumer’s perceptions regarding how and when packaging can help extend food freshness and prevent product damage. The research emphasizes the importance of consumer awareness and education in making informed choices, ultimately contributing to a reduction in food waste.
Click here to learn more and register for this free webinar.
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December 5-7, virtual
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is hosting the Food Waste Reduction and Recovery Workshop, a free, virtual workshop December 5-7. NIST aims to understand the generation and state of recovery of food waste, including for energy and nutrient recovery. NIST also seeks to identify industry wide challenges and needs to overcome barriers, particularly in the areas of data, measurement science, reference materials, and standards. The workshop participants include industrial, academic, nonprofit, and government entities that will discuss means for creating value via the circular economy, and among other issues, what data and standards might be necessary to accomplish this goal.
Click here to learn more and register for this free workshop by December 1.
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Apply for the EPA Science to Achieve Results Program’s Funding Opportunity for Research Understanding PFAS
Application deadline: December 6, 2023
EPA’s Office of Research and Development is funding data collection on Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances within agricultural environments to provide vital information related to exposure pathways. This will help inform the development of sustainable solutions. Research is essential to increase knowledge on how PFAS navigates through soil and into plants within agricultural and rural settings. The overall aim is to improve farm viability, as approaches are explored to understand PFAS accumulation in plants and animals.
Learn about this funding opportunity.
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Apply for the ReFED Catalytic Grant for Food Waste Reduction Projects in Restaurants
Deadline to submit a Letter of Intent: November 20, 2023
The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund is now accepting applications for its second open call with a focus on food waste reduction in restaurants. This opportunity will support proven or pilot-ready food waste solutions that are simple, affordable, and convenient to implement or have a strong business case for small to medium-sized independent restaurants — including increased cost savings, improved staff retention, higher customer acquisition, and more.
Visit ReFED’s website for more information, including how to apply.
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Apply for the USDA – Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants
This program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding for improvements made to energy efficiency by agricultural producers and rural small businesses. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new for agricultural production and processing. Funds may be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, including anaerobic digesters.
Open for Fiscal Years 2023 & 2024
Application Windows:
June 30, 2023
September 30, 2023
December 31, 2023
March 31, 2024
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2024
Visit the USDA Rural Energy for America Grants Page for details.
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EPA Seeks Applications for 2024 President’s Environmental Student and Teacher Awards
EPA is requesting applications for the 2024 President’s Environmental Youth Awards and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators. PEYA recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from students in grades K–12 that promote environmental awareness and encourage community involvement. PIAEE recognizes outstanding grade K–12 educators who integrate environmental education and place-based learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country.
Applications for both awards are due no later than Monday, January 15, 2024. Projects eligible for the awards can apply to a variety of environmental topics, including (but not limited to):
- Climate change
- Environmental justice
- Water infrastructure
- Lead in drinking water
- A reduction in contributions to ocean and marine litter
- Recycling solutions
- The use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to teach environmental education
- Environmental sustainability and agricultural practices
- Healthy school environments
- The reduction of food waste and loss and excess food recovery efforts
Application and eligibility information is available on EPA’s PEYA page and EPA’s PIAEE page.
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Deadlines: April 1 and May 1, 2024
EPA made available $4.6 billion across two implementation grant competitions, one general competition and one specifically for tribes and territories. Under these funding opportunities, eligible applicants will compete for climate pollution reduction implementation grants to fund measures in their state-, municipality-, tribe-, or territory-specific climate action plans. As part of its application evaluation, EPA will prioritize measures that achieve the greatest reduction in GHG emissions. Measures that address waste and materials management are within the scope.
The deadline to apply to the general competition is April 1, 2024. The deadline to apply to the Tribes and territories competition is May 1, 2024. EPA estimates that the implementation grants will be awarded in Fall 2024 for the general competition and in Winter 2024-2025 for the Tribes and territories competition.
For more information, please read the General Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Tribes and Territories Competition NOFO, and the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant website. Sign up for notifications about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program here. Check out the new Quantified Climate Action Measures Directory here. EPA also added additional climate action plans to its database of Government Climate Action Plans that Address Materials Management and Waste.
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Deadline: Available until expended
Eligible Entities: Institutions of higher education, for-profit and nonprofit entities, and state and local governmental entities and Tribes
The Critical Material Innovation, Efficiency, And Alternatives Program is designed to conduct a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercialization to develop alternatives to critical materials, to promote their efficient production and use, and ensure a long-term secure and sustainable supply of them.
For more information, visit: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/critical-material-innovation-efficiency-and-alternatives.
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Mention of or referral to commercial products or services, and/or links to non-EPA sites does not imply official EPA endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data, or products presented at those locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Mention of commercial products/services on non-EPA websites is provided solely as a pointer to information on topics related to environmental protection that may be useful to EPA staff and the public. |
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By subscribing to the newsletter, you will receive periodic announcements about resources, events, webinars, funding opportunities, and more from EPA and our partners. Topics include circular economy, reduce/reuse/recycle, food loss and waste, electronics, plastics, municipal solid waste, and the built environment.
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