PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday awarded Rhode Island a total of $3.9 million for the expansion of recycling infrastructure across the state.
Providence will get $3.3 million from the EPA’s newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity while the rest of the state will receive $551,877 to improve solid waste management planning, data collection and implementation of plans.
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The funding is part of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save our Seas 2.0 Act, which represent the EPA’s largest recycling investment in 30 years. The recycling grants are also supported with funding from EPA’s annual appropriations.
Providence was one of 24 localities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to be selected to receive funding through this program, which supports improvements to local waste management systems.
Providence’s projects will include a pilot program for business recycling including municipal infrastructure, enhanced framework for commercial and institutional food waste diversion, expanded infrastructure for neighborhood-based composting of residents’ food waste and technical assistance for businesses and institutions to support food waste diversion.
“This is an exciting step towards making Providence a more sustainable, climate resilient city,” said Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley. “The funding from this grant will have a lasting impact on our neighborhoods, reducing food waste, expanding recycling efforts, and increasing the accessibility of composting for residents and businesses. Through this important work we are prioritizing the health, safety and quality of life of our communities and making Providence a national leader in addressing the climate crisis.”
Rhode Island’s $551,877 grant was one of the grants the EPA provided to all 56 states, territories and the District of Columbia ranging from $360,000 to $750,000 to improve post-consumer materials management programs data collection efforts.
The R.I. Department of Environmental Management is expected to update the state’s Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan. Along with addressing solid waste disposal and recycling at the state’s Resource Recovery Facility, the plan will include food waste diversion, e-waste management, and emerging waste streams such as solar panels and lithium-ion batteries. The plan will also use higher-quality data than before and incorporate benchmarks and goals reflected in the state’s on environmental justice.
EPA New England Regional Administrator, David W. Cash praised the Providence Climate Justice Plan and other ways the city helps residents who are negatively affected by climate change.
“EPA is proud to support their efforts to create a sustainable and equitable zero-waste economy, while supporting local businesses and creating meaningful work for local frontline community members,” Cash said.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., who co-founded the bipartisan Senate Oceans Caucus and helped lead the Save our Seas 2.0 Act, noted that improving Rhode Island’s statewide recycling and waste management systems will help keep the Narragansett Bay Clean and boost public health.
Department of Environmental Management director Terry Gray added that effective planning on a state level is critical to make sure waste management systems are operating efficiently and one of his office’s priorities is to eliminate waste before it is created.
These grants also support the implementation of EPA’s National Recycling Strategy, which is focused on building an economy keeping materials, products and services in circulation for as long as possible or what’s also known as a “circular economy.” With these grants the agency is also taking steps to reach its national Recycling and Food Loss and Waste Reduction goals, through which the EPA aims to increase the national recycling rate by 50% and cut food waste in half by 2030.
EPA has Providence and Rhode Island to receive funding for recycling infrastructure projects and plans to grant all the awards announced Monday when legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
