Grants for Recycling Businesses

2021 Recycling Business Development Grant Round - CLOSED

The 2021 Recycling Business Development Grant round is now closed. Proposals were due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) is typically released in early September with applications due in November. Grant winners are notified in December and funds become available in March. A copy of the RFP for the now-closed 2021 grant round can be downloaded for informational purposes by selecting one of the following links (PDF or Word).

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.

Summaries of previous years' awarded grant projects are provided below.

COVID-19 Relief Grant Program - Closed

This special grant program provided funding to local governments and private businesses to purchase equipment and/or resources to support residential recycling programs that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

Regional Recycling Infrastructure Grant Program - Closed

This special grant program provided funding to local governments and private businesses to construct or upgrade a material recovery facility (MRF) or recycling transfer station that serves a region of residential recycling programs through the Regional Recycling Infrastructure Grant program.