Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2025

This bill creates a pilot grant program run by the EPA to make recycling easier to access, especially in places that don’t have good options today. The program must launch within 18 months of becoming law and aims to build “hub-and-spoke” recycling systems that connect local drop-off or curbside pickup to larger sorting centers. States, local governments, Tribes, and public–private partnerships can apply for funding .

Grant money can be used to add transfer stations, expand curbside pickup where it makes sense, and partner with private companies to lower hauling costs. It cannot be used for recycling education programs. Projects in communities with no more than one major recycling facility within 75 miles get priority. Grants range from $500,000 to $15 million, and the federal share can cover up to 90% of costs, with a possible waiver for hardship. At least 70% of funds each year must go to underserved communities. Congress authorizes $30 million per year from 2025 through 2029, and the EPA must report back two years after the first grant on who got funds and how recycling rates changed .

• Who is affected: States, cities and counties, Tribes, and public–private partnerships; communities that lack full recycling because of distance, cost, or not enough facility capacity.
• What changes: More local drop-off points, expanded curbside pickup, and cheaper transport to larger recycling facilities; no funding for education campaigns .
• When: Program set up within 18 months of enactment; funding available 2025–2029; an EPA report due two years after the first grant is awarded .