Sponsors (3)
The bill directs new federal grants, technical assistance, and data-reporting to expand recycling capacity—especially in disadvantaged areas—but the modest funding level, restrictive grant terms, and exclusions (like education) mean many communities may still lack the resources or flexibility to fully realize improved recycling outcomes.
Residents in underserved urban, rural, and tribal communities will gain improved access to recycling (new transfer stations, expanded curbside collection, hub-and-spoke networks) and greater diversion from landfills.
State, local, and tribal governments (and their nonprofit partners) can obtain grants ($0.5M–$15M) plus predictable federal funding ($30M/year FY2025–FY2029) and EPA technical assistance to plan and build multi-year recycling infrastructure, lowering local collection and transport costs.
Disadvantaged communities will be prioritized through an environmental-justice focus that reserves most funds for areas lacking adequate recycling services, directing investment to communities with greater need.
The program's funding level ($30M/year) is modest and likely insufficient to meet large-scale, regional recycling infrastructure needs, leaving many projects unfunded.
Grant design (minimum award $500k and a 95% federal cost-share cap) may exclude very small communities or smaller projects that need more flexible, smaller-scale funding.
Prohibited use of grant funds for recycling education means communities may lack the outreach and behavior-change programs needed to achieve participation and make infrastructure effective.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates an EPA pilot grant program to expand recycling infrastructure in underserved areas and requires EPA/GAO reporting and inventories on recycling/composting and markets.
Introduced January 30, 2025 by Shelley Moore Capito · Last progress November 20, 2025
Creates a new EPA pilot grant program to expand recycling infrastructure and access in underserved communities, especially using hub-and-spoke approaches (grants $500K–$15M; federal share up to 95%). It also requires EPA and GAO to produce multiple inventories, reports, and a new metric on recycling and composting infrastructure, program access, contamination/capture rates, and end markets, and authorizes multi-year funding for both the grant program and the reporting work. The bill sets timelines for EPA to stand up the program and deliver reports (program within 18 months; several reports due within 1–3 years), reserves most funds for underserved community projects, limits administrative spending, protects confidential business information, and prohibits unfunded federal mandates on states, localities, and tribes.