Grants for Recycling Businesses

Multifamily Recycling Grant Program - OPEN

The Multifamily Recycling Grant Program offers funding to initiate or expand multifamily recycling programs within the state and is open to local governments, recycling businesses or non-profits, multifamily property owners or management companies, public housing authorities, and colleges and universities for off-campus housing. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information or assistance please contact Elise Traywick at 919-707-8135.

Watch the Multifamily Recycling Webinar to learn more.

Recycling Business Development Grants - CLOSED

The Recycling Business Assistance Center (RBAC) offers small grants to North Carolina recycling businesses. Requests for proposals are typically issued each fall, depending on funding availability, for projects to begin the following spring. 

The purpose of this grant program is to reduce the flow of solid waste to disposal facilities and encourage the sustainable recovery of materials from North Carolina’s waste stream. To achieve that purpose, RBAC seeks viable, well-planned and effective proposals from recycling businesses in North Carolina wanting to start up or expand recovery efforts.

Projects involving the collection, processing or end use of materials in the solid waste stream are eligible for funding. Generally, the grant money is intended to fund sustainable investments in equipment and buildings necessary for increasing the capacity of a recycling business to divert more materials from disposal and into economic use. Grant money cannot be used to cover labor costs, general operational costs, or the cost of contract processing. 

The 2025 Recycling Business Development Grant round is now closed. For more information, contact Marc Boettger at 919-707-8133. 

View summaries of previous years' awarded grant projects.
 

Food Waste Reduction Grant - CLOSED

The Food Waste Reduction Grant is a special grant program offering funding to help local governments, non-profits, and businesses reduce the amount of wasted food being disposed in landfills. The 2025 Food Waste Reduction Grant application period closed on Friday, November 8, 2024. For more information please contact Christine Wittmeier at 919-707-8121.

Learn more about food waste reduction.
 

Glass Equipment and Infrastructure Grant - CLOSED

The Glass Equipment and Infrastructure Grant was a one-time grant program that provided funding for single stream material recovery facilities (MRFs) to purchase glass recycling equipment or for local governments to establish or expand community drop-off glass collection.