EPA Announces More Than $3 Million to Projects in New Mexico for Recycling Infrastructure Projects a

EPA Announces More Than $3 Million to Projects in New Mexico for Recycling Infrastructure Projects as Part of America Recycles Day   On America Recycles Day, EPA announces grants under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funded in part by the largest recycling investment in 30 years   DALLAS, TEXAS (November 30, 2023) –In conjunction with America Recycles Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Pueblo of San Felipe, the Pueblo of Zuni, and the Santa Domingo Pueblo Tribe will receive a total of $2,834,272 in Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia to expand recycling infrastructure. The Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District in Albuquerque will receive $590,319 in Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) grants to educate children on food waste and composting. As part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, these grants will expand education for waste management systems across the state.   "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."   "New Mexico understands more than most places how precious our natural resources and environment are, and the dedication it takes to protect them. By expanding capacity for recycling and public outreach, the Pueblos and conservation district can help invest in a more sustainable future for New Mexico," said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance.   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 disposal. As part of President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, 100% of the funding allocated in EPA's SWIFR for Tribes grants and 74% of the funding allocated in the REO grants will benefit underserved and overburdened communities. Increasing recycling is also an important way to reduce pollution because natural resource extraction and processing make up half of all global greenhouse gas emissions that drive the climate crisis. Recycling reduces the need to extract resources such as timber, water, and minerals for new products.   Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia The SWIFR grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia will enable Tribes to make improvements to their recycling and waste management systems, meeting Congress' goal to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective U.S. municipal solid waste recycling system. EPA has announced the selection of 59 selectees to receive over $60 million through the program. Examples of selected projects include: The Pueblo of San Felipe will receive $1,005,111 to provide effective solid waste management through tangible infrastructure improvements to reduce contamination in the recycled materials stream. The Pueblo of San Felipe will obtain recycling trailers, establish a swap shop, repair heavy equipment for source separation recovery, and improve transfer station infrastructure. The overall objective of this project is to encourage environmentally friendly consumer management which will decrease the generation of municipal solid waste.   The Pueblo of Zuni will receive $999,532 to develop a solid waste management plan, purchase updated equipment for a transfer station, and implement a recycling program. With the purchase of new equipment and the implementation of new programs, the Pueblo of Zuni will expand materials management and focus on encouraging environmental sound post-consumer materials management.   The Santa Domingo Pueblo Tribe will receive $829,629 to increase capacity within the Santa Domingo transfer station in the areas of infrastructure improvement, procurement, service expansion, and personnel development. To achieve these objectives, the Santa Domingo Pueblo Tribe will construct a recycling structure to house equipment and materials, purchase new equipment, and a cardboard baler and green waste shredder to process recyclable materials. These new materials will expand material management and improve recycling infrastructure in the area.   For a list of the 59 selected grant selectees for the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia funding, please visit: EPA's Recipients and Selectees webpage. 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. EPA has announced 25 selectees to receive over $33 million in Recycling Education and Outreach grants. Examples of projects that have been selected include:  Ciudad SWCD will receive $590,319 to collaborate with and inform students and community members located in food-desert communities about the importance of food waste reduction and composting, while working to reduce contamination to encourage increased food waste diversion and composting rates.     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 39th 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.  EPA offers many free, online resources, including: Model Recycling Toolkit  Composting Food Scraps in Your Community: A Social Marketing Toolkit Wasted Food Scale: Updated Recommendations Standardized Terms for Materials Accepted by Municipal Recycling Programs Creating Messages that Drive Behavior Change Recycling Infrastructure and Market Opportunities Map Learn more about America Recycles Day. Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.     ###

 

 

 

 

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