The EPA is seeking applications proposing projects that inform the public about new or existing residential or community recycling programs; provide information about the recycled materials that are accepted as part of a residential or community recycling program that provides for the separate collection of residential solid waste from recycled material; and increases collection rates and decreases contamination in residential and community recycling programs.
Projects will improve consumer recycling education with the goal of achieving separate collection of recycled material across the nation, maximizing the efficient reuse of materials, and identifying strategies that otherwise result in an increase in volume of recyclable materials. The EPA also recognizes and encourages applications that demonstrate evidence-based messaging and strategies associated with effective communication campaigns designed to increase prevention, reuse, repair, remanufacture, recycling, anaerobic digestion, and composting in communities and/or decrease contamination in the recycling stream. This approach to community-informed messaging goes beyond education only by emphasizing researching the audience, building trust, and reducing audience barriers while emphasizing benefits for desired action.
In addition, the EPA is seeking applications for recycling education and outreach projects that address environmental justice concerns and focus predominantly on addressing the disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related and other cumulative impacts, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial and/or other actions that have affected and/or currently affect people/communities of color, low income, tribal, and indigenous populations, and if applicable, other vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Deadline: Feb. 15, 2023
An entity that is eligible to receive a grant under the grant program is—
- a U.S. State, including the District of Columbia; Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and any agency or instrumentality thereof exclusive of local governments
- a unit of local government as defined in the Local government provision of 2 CFR 200.1;
- an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
- a Native Hawaiian organization (as defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517));
- the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;
- the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;
- a nonprofit organization; or
- a public-private partnership.
Non-profit colleges, universities and other institutions of higher education are also eligible to apply for funding under this RFA as are public institutions of higher education that are agencies or instrumentalities of state, tribal or local governments.
The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $30,000,000. The EPA anticipates awarding at least one award per EPA region, depending on the availability of funds, quantity and quality of the applications received, and other applicable considerations. The minimum individual award is $250,000 and the maximum individual award is $2,000,000 for the grant period, which is up to three years.