EPA Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program

For this second round of REO funding, EPA is focusing on preventing the generation of wasted food and increasing its recycling through composting. The program provides $39 million to fund one cooperative agreement that includes developing and implementing a national consumer wasted food reduction campaign, expanding the market for and sales of compost, and increasing education and outreach to households on composting.

Eligible Recipients:

This funding opportunity requires all applicants to submit coalition applications.

The entities eligible to apply for this grant (either as lead applicant or as coalition member) are:

  • U.S. States, including Washington, D.C.
  • Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Local governments.
  • Indian Tribes.
  • Native Hawaiian organizations, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
  • Nonprofit organizations.
  • Public-private partnerships.

Eligible Projects:

EPA anticipates funding one opportunity with three projects.

  • Project 1: Develop and Implement a National Consumer Wasted Food Reduction Campaign. This project’s objective is to decrease wasted food from households.
  • Project 2: Expand the Market and Sales of Compost. This project’s objective is to expand markets for and sales of compost.
  • Project 3: Increase Education and Outreach to Households on Composting. This project’s objective is to:

— Inform the public about new or existing residential food waste composting programs.
— Provide information about the materials that are accepted as part of a residential food waste composting program.
–Increase collection rates and decrease physical contamination in residential food waste composting programs.
Please refer to the NOFO for more information (pdf).

Funding Source:

EPA

Funding Amount:

The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is $39,094,000. Applications must include all three projects as listed above.

Project 1 – Develop and Implement a National Consumer Wasted Food Reduction Campaign – Funding range $30,000,000 to $34,094,000

Project 2 and 3 – Expand the Market and Sales of Compost/ Increase Education and Outreach to Households on Composting – Funding range $5,000,000 to $9,094,000 (combined)

This program aligns with the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. This means that applicants must demonstrate in their proposals that 40% of the overall benefits created by the projects funded in this assistance agreement will flow to disadvantaged communities. Please refer to the NOFO for details (pdf).

Funding Deadline:

Applications are due in Grants.gov on December 20, 2024.

Contact:

If you have questions about the grants, email RecyclingEd@epa.gov.

More Information:

https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/consumer-recycling-education-and-outreach-grant-program#webinars