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EPA Publishes New Guidance “Creating Disaster-Resilient Buildings to Minimize Disaster Debris”
In July 2024, EPA finalized new guidance, entitled “Creating Disaster-Resilient Buildings to Minimize Disaster Debris.” This document provides practical actions for communities to plan, design, improve, and adapt new and existing buildings to withstand natural disasters today and in a changing climate. Community leaders and members, planners, designers, builders, and disaster response experts can use this information to increase the resiliency of homes, businesses, and other buildings to the impacts of natural disaster hazards, including flooding, fire, and high winds.
Creating disaster-resilient buildings presents an opportunity to minimize disaster debris while advancing a circular economy, conserving resources, decreasing waste, and reducing health, social, environmental, and economic impacts. The document can be accessed on our website.
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Check out New Resources on Scaling Food Waste Composting
The Composting Consortium, Closed Loop Partners, and Eco-Cycle recently released two new resources: a guide for policymakers, investors and the composting industry on investment opportunities to scale food waste composting infrastructure and a blueprint for municipalities to scale collection and composting infrastructure.
Learn more through their reports:
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Access the Latest U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions Milestones Report
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the 2023 Milestones Report for Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions. The report highlights actions and impacts by twenty-five 2030 Champions – food businesses that have committed to halving food loss and waste in their operations by 2030. Read the full report.
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Check Out New Research on Food Waste Prevention Opportunities in Homes
A new report from the Waste and Resources Action Programme and SKIM shares recent research on how food waste collection systems in homes (a compost bucket, for example) can help people waste less food. The study involved consumers in Wales, England and Austria in fall of 2023. Read the full report from WRAP.
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Sign up for Webinar on Bridging Composting and Food Rescue
The U.S. Composting Council will host a webinar on August 29 exploring how composters and food rescue organizations can collaborate to reduce food waste. Learn more and register.
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EPA Provides Updates on the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling and Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Programs
 We're thrilled to share some exciting news about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling and Recycling Education and Outreach grant programs!
EPA is gearing up to release the next Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for SWIFR and REO in the fall of 2024 - specifically the SWIFR Grants for Communities, SWIFR Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia, and REO Grants. This upcoming round of grants builds on the successes and lessons learned from our initial funding phase, aiming to further strengthen our nation's recycling infrastructure and advance circular economy initiatives, such as food waste prevention.
We're excited about the potential impact of these upcoming grants and can't wait to see the innovative solutions you'll bring to the table. Stay tuned for more updates, and let's continue working together towards a more sustainable, circular future!
Learn more about the SWIFR grant program and the REO grant program.
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Apply for the Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards Program by October 18
 The Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience in the Bureau of Indian Affairs is accepting applications for Tribal Climate Resilience Awards. This competitive funding opportunity will address current and future climate change impacts on Tribal Treaty and Trust resources, economies, regenerative agriculture and food sovereignty, conservation practices, infrastructure, and human health and safety.
This year, over $120 million will be made available across three funding categories:
- Category 1 – Planning.
- Category 2 – Implementation.
- Category 3 – Relocation, Managed Retreat, Protect-in-Place Staff.
TCR awards may also be used to meet other Federal and non-Federal cost share and match requirements required by statute.
Application deadline: October 18, 2024.
Learn more on the Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards webpage.
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Reminder - Apply for EPA Small Business Innovation Research 2024-2025 Phase I Solicitation by August 21
EPA is accepting proposals from small businesses for Phase I SBIR awards of up to $100,000. The aim is to demonstrate proof of concept for specific topics under the broad focus areas of clean and safe water, air quality and climate, homeland security, circular economy/sustainable materials, and safer chemicals.
Application deadline: August 21, 2024.
Learn more on the EPA SBIR Funding Opportunities Page.
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Reminder - Apply for USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program Loans and Grants by September 30
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Reminder – Apply for USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements by September 4
USDA is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. These cooperative agreements support local and Tribal governments in developing innovative, scalable waste management plans. The aim is to reduce and divert food waste from landfills and test strategies for municipal composting and food waste reduction efforts. These cooperative agreements support projects in communities of all sizes and are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban and climate smart agriculture. Learn more about the CFWR cooperative agreements, including past recipients.
Application deadline: September 4, 2024.
Learn more and apply at Grants.gov.
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Reminder - Apply for EPA Region 3 Solid Waste Infrastructure Grant by August 30
EPA Region 3 released a notice of funding opportunity designed to increase the ability of Mid-Atlantic states to manage food scraps more sustainably through composting. This funding opportunity specifically seeks to increase capacity for food scraps composting by upgrading yard waste composting facilities to accept food scraps.
Application deadline: August 30, 2024.
Learn more about this funding opportunity at Grants.gov.
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Reminder - Apply for EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program by November 21
EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights is awarding approximately $2 billion in grants to fund community-driven projects that address climate challenge and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with initial award selections beginning in March 2024. The final application deadline is November 21, 2024.
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Reminder - Apply for EPA Region 1 Healthy Communities 2024 Grants by November 1
EPA New England is pleased to announce that the Healthy Communities Grant Program is now accepting applications for projects that will benefit one or more New England communities. EPA plans to award approximately 15 cooperative agreements for amounts up to $40,000. Sustainable Materials Management is one of the topic areas within scope. Join an informational webinar; the next one is on August 14.
Application deadline: November 1, 2024.
Register for webinars and learn more about the Healthy Communities Grant Program.
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Reminder - Apply Aug-Nov for USDA’s Foundational and Applied Science Program Grants
These grants cover research, education, and extension projects with a wide variety of topics and eligible entities. Application deadlines: August 1 through November 14, 2024, depending on program area.
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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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