$575,000 grants are available for plastic recycling across the USA!
This grant program is administered by The Recycling Partnership’s PET Recycling Coalition, which brings together a robust group of stakeholders to drive improvements that transform the PET recycling landscape.
The purpose of the PET Recycling Coalition’s Grant Program is to facilitate a number of distinct yet interrelated improvements related to the circularity of PET packaging in the United States:
- Increasing the capture of PET at MRFs, secondary sortation facilities, and/or PET reclaimers by improving process effectiveness and reducing yield loss;
- Increasing the number of local recycling programs accepting PET non-bottle rigids (e.g. thermoformed clamshells, cups, trays;
- Increasing the recycling viability of pigmented and/or opaque PET;
- Optimizing the supply of rPET by aligning rPET characteristics with end market needs.
Funding Overview
Grant funding under this program has a target cap of $500,000 per grant. However, The Recycling Partnership reserves the right to adjust the maximum award of a project.
The additional option of $75,000 for outreach expenses is not included in the $500,000 cap.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible for funding, an applicant must be a publicly, privately or non-profit owned and operated material recovery facility (MRF), secondary sortation facility, or PET reclaimer.
Eligible Activities
Grant funding is available through competitive responses to this Request for Proposals for equipment or process investments that create measurable progress towards the PET Recycling Coalition’s desired outcomes. Uses of the funding may include, but are not limited to:
- Optical sortation equipment
- Robotic sortation equipment
- Conveyor systems
- Bunker or other storage systems for sorted material
- Equipment focused on processing other materials that result in broadened PET acceptance or improved PET processing
- Dock space or related investments that facilitate PET shipment
Grant funds cannot be used for staff costs, recycling collection equipment, land or building purchases, or for any other purposes not directly related to PET recycling. The exception is an allowance for up to $75,000 for outreach expenses to raise public awareness where the equipment grant results in new access to curbside recycling of PET non-bottle rigids and/or pigmented/opaque PET. The Recycling Partnership reserves the right to adjust this education allowance.
