The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3,982,000 in funding to the City of New Orleans to improve material management and to improve existing recycling programs in the city.
“We must continue to invest in comprehensive strategies that promote recycling initiatives in communities overburdened by climate change challenges,” said regional administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “By providing nearly $4 million in funding, EPA is fulfilling our promise to identify marginalized communities and fund projects designed to address climate change and improve public health. I would like to thank the City of New Orleans for continuing to fight the climate crisis and for ensuring overlooked communities continue to receive the resources they need for a cleaner environment.”
The City of New Orleans will expand its current residential curbside recycling program to all eligible households. This expansion will ensure universal and equitable access to curbside recycling, providing new recycling access to about 73,000 households and replace 10,000 legacy recycling carts. The city will also develop a 10 year solid waste master plan that evaluates recycling processing infrastructure and capacity, explores opportunities for organics diversion, including food waste, and explores infrastructure and policy needs to address waste diversion in multifamily and commercial operations. The grant supports the implementation of EPA’s National Recycling Strategy to build an economy devoted to keeping materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible –what’s known as a “circular economy.”
The recycling grants for states and territories will provide funding to all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia via grants ranging from $370,000 to $760,000; with the highest grant amounts supporting those states and territories that need it.
These grants represent important steps toward achieving the EPA’s National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal. Funded activities include improving post-consumer materials management programs through developing or updating solid waste management plans and strengthening data collection efforts.
In the coming months, EPA will announce the selected recipients of the recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA’s new Recycling Education and Outreach grant program.