Issued: Nov 16, 2023 (3:24pm EST)
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EPA Selects Camden, NJ and New York City Projects to Receive Recycling Education and Outreach Grants as Part of America Recycles Day
On America Recycles Day and Anniversary of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA announces grants funded in part by the largest recycling investment in 30 years
NEW YORK (November 16, 2023) - Today, in conjunction with American Recycles Day, the Environmental Protection Agency selected a Camden, NJ schools project and an education campaign from the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to receive a total of $3.2 million in Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) grants in the region. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and under President Biden's Investing in America agenda, these grants focus on improving the effectiveness of residential and community recycling and composting programs through public education and outreach.
"Today, on America Recycles Day, we are putting historic recycling investments into communities, made possible by President Biden's Investing in America agenda," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Two years ago today, the President signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and with it, unleashed unprecedented funding to enable Tribes and communities to update recycling and composting infrastructure, while also advancing education programs to increase recycling rates and reduce waste."
"The Recycling Education and Outreach grant program is an opportunity for robust outreach and the expansion of important public services," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "We're pleased that both organizations will focus on community-based programs that will instill the importance of everyone's collective effort in keeping our cities clean and green."
Recycling Education and Outreach Grants
The Recycling Education and Outreach grant projects will help inform the public about local recycling and composting programs and focus on increasing collection rates and decreasing contamination of recycling streams across the nation.
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has been selected to receive will receive $2 million. DSNY will implement an education outreach campaign and the citywide expansion of a curbside composting program, with a focus on historically underserved communities.
The Go Green Initiative Association, an environmental justice organization working in Camden, New Jersey, has been selected to receive close to $1.2million to advance single stream recycling and composting programs in public schools. These programs engage and positively influence the recycling behavior in lower-income communities.
These grants reflect the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to tackling environmental justice and the climate crisis. Many communities with environmental justice concerns carry a disproportionate environmental and human health burden from waste management. As part of President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, 74% of the funding allocated in the REO grants will benefit environmentally overburdened communities. Proper recycling reduces the need to extract resources such as timber, water, and minerals for new products.
To learn more about the Recycling Education and Outreach funding, please visit: EPA's Recipients and Selectees webpage.
America Recycles Day
Today marks both the 29th America Recycles Day, the second anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the second anniversary of EPA's National Recycling Strategy. The National Recycling Strategy was the first in a series of EPA strategies devoted to building a circular economy – one that reduces material use, redesigns materials, products, and services to be less resource intensive, and recaptures "waste" as a resource to manufacture new materials and products.
To build upon the goals of the recycling strategy, EPA released the Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution for public comment in April. The Draft Strategy outlines steps to reduce pollution during production, improve management of plastic materials throughout product lifecycles, and encourage actions to keep plastics out of national waterways and the environment. Future strategies will address food waste and electronics.
EPA also recently announced over $105 million for the selectees of the historic SWIFR grants for states and communities. These improvements will support a circular economy, help lower greenhouse gas emissions, as more efficient waste management systems are key to reducing energy consumption and the need for raw materials, while rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, powered by well-paying jobs that don't require four-year degrees.
Visit EPA's website to learn more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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