Biden-Harris Administration Invests More Than $2.4 Million in Massachusetts Recycling Infrastructure Projects Through Investing in America Agenda
EPA grants funded in part by largest recycling investment in 30 years under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
BOSTON (Sept. 14, 2023) –- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $2.4 million from President Biden's Investing in America agenda to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across Massachusetts.
EPA has selected Greenfield, Massachusetts to receive a grant totaling more than $2 million under the newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity. In addition, the agency is making available approximately $411,000 for Massachusetts to improve solid waste management planning, data collection and implementation of plans. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment is a part of EPA's largest recycling investment in 30 years.
The grants support 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."
"President Biden's Investing in America Agenda tackles our most pressing environmental challenges including climate change and lead in drinking water, and today we add another historic investment to better manage waste in communities across America," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "By investing in better recycling, EPA is deploying resources to provide recycling services across the country, including in disadvantaged communities, while preventing waste that contributes to the climate crisis, supporting local economies and creating good-paying jobs."
"The City of Greenfield's plans to develop an automated, single-stream collection program, will transform the community's solid waste infrastructure," said EPA New England Regional Administrator, David W. Cash. "The project will equitably reduce waste and manage materials to provide recovered resources for manufacturing, move toward a circular economy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit the historically marginalized communities in Greenfield."
"Congratulations to the city of Greenfield for receiving more than $2 million to transform its recycling infrastructure," said Senator Elizabeth Warren. "I fought hard for large investments in recycling and waste management through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I will continue to push for these crucial federal funds to help Massachusetts communities stay cleaner, reduce emissions, and build a more sustainable future."
"This funding from the Biden administration, as delivered through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will overhaul Greenfield's recycling program and bring it into the 21st century, equipped with innovative technology and tools that will reduce waste, increase efficiency, and make going green even easier for residents," said U.S. Senator Ed Markey.
"I'm thrilled that the Biden-Harris Administration has chosen Greenfield to receive a once-in-a-generation investment of over $2 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support a state-of-the-art automated, single stream recycling program," said Congressman James P. McGovern. "President Biden's Investing in America Agenda is giving communities the tools they need to confront their most pressing problems, from fighting climate change to preserving clean and safe drinking water. This investment in Greenfield will make recycling easier, helping to save money and the planet."
"The Healey-Driscoll Administration is grateful for the Biden Administration's continued support for key recycling initiatives that help preserve landfill space, save taxpayer money, and help combat the climate crisis," said Governor Maura Healey. "This funding will enable the expansion of MassDEP's RecycleSmart program, which provides easy-to-access answers to common recycling questions—including what is recyclable and where. Congratulations to the City of Greenfield for securing additional funding to modernize its capabilities to boost recycling rates."
"We are honored to be chosen as the Massachusetts recipient of this outstanding grant and grateful to the EPA and Biden Administration for selecting Greenfield. We are a small city that has made a commitment over the last two decades to focus on sustainability," said Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner. "Our recycling program is a linchpin in those sustainability and energy efficiency efforts. The opportunity to upgrade our whole recycling program from manual to automated has major financial benefits for our city from potentially fewer injuries to our staff, fuel use savings with new trucks, to significant upgrades to the existing processing area at the transfer station."
President Biden's Investing in America Agenda is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, to driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good paying jobs that don't require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program is also advancing President's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Approximately $56 million out of the $73 million – or 76% - of the total funding for communities will go toward projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Communities
The recycling grants for communities will support improvements to waste management systems across the country. The $2,055,330 award for Massachusetts's selected project City of Greenfield Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Proposal to Transform its Manually Collected, Dual-Stream Recycling Program to an Automated, Single-Stream Collection Program will:
- Transition the city's current manually sorted, dual-stream recycling collection system to single-stream, using fully automated vehicles.
- Reconstruct Greenfields transfer station's existing processing area to allow for increased efficiencies in the processing of collected materials.
- Replace existing collection vehicles with new, automated ones that will substantially reduce carbon emissions and other air pollutants.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for States and Territories
The recycling grants for states and territories will provide funding to all 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia via grants ranging from $360,000 to $750,000; with the highest grant amounts supporting those states and territories that need it the most.
MassDEP will utilize the $411,000 in funding to implement RecycleSmart MA, a social media platform/education initiative providing residents with the information they need on recycling. The goal is to educate residents about what can and cannot go in the recycling bin thereby improving the quality of the recycling stream. The site also provides solutions for reducing waste and where to recycle materials that should not go in the recycling bin (i.e., TVs, Mattresses, Textiles Furniture, etc). A portion of the funding will also be set aside to provide solid waste and recycling training for professional development of state and local officials.
More information is available at https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-09/Massachusetts_SWIFR.pdf (105 KB).
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.
Additional Background
Today's announcement for states, territories, and communities is the first round of funding from this new grant program. 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.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act - the largest investment in recycling in 30 years. The recycling grants are supplemented with additional funding provided through EPA's annual appropriations. EPA has selected these entities to receive funding for recycling infrastructure projects and anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
For details about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program selectees and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related funding opportunities, visit the EPA recycling grants webpage.