Recycling Business Development Grant
The Recycling Business Development Grant Program is a recurring annual funding opportunity for recycling businesses in North Carolina to invest in equipment, buildings and infrastructure to divert more materials from landfill disposal and into economic use.
The 2026 Recycling Business Development Grant round is closed.
Proposals were accepted through November 20, 2025. For more information, contact Emily Weaver at 919-707-8913.
Past Recycling Business Development Grant Awards
State recycling business grants awarded in Spring 2026 are expected to create 34 jobs, reduce landfill disposal by more than 17,600 tons annually, and leverage more than $1.5 million in private business investment across North Carolina.
Twelve companies and organizations that collect, process, reuse, and manufacture products from recovered materials received a total of $494,500 in funding from N.C. DEQ’s Recycling Business Assistance Center in 2026. The funded projects represent more than $2.08 million in total investment and support expansion of battery, metal, textile, cardboard, solar panel, and construction material recovery operations, as well as improvements to residential recycling collection and material processing capacity across the state.
Selected projects include:
- Green Metals Battery Innovations in Forsyth County ($30,000) – Green Metals Battery Innovations will purchase two handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzers to support a new electric vehicle battery recycling facility in Winston-Salem.
- Sonoco Recycling in Wake County ($30,000) – Sonoco Recycling will replace an existing commercial baler with a more efficient model to improve processing efficiency and increase cardboard recycling capacity.
- Wayne Opportunity Center in Wayne County ($75,000) – Wayne Opportunity Center will purchase a new automatic tie baler system and conveyor belt to improve automation and expand processing capacity.
- Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity in New Hanover County ($40,000) – Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity will purchase a 20-foot box truck with a lift gate to expand its deconstruction program, increasing recovery and reuse of building materials.
- Coastal Sanitation in Onslow County ($20,000) – Coastal Sanitation will purchase recycling carts to establish a new residential curbside recycling program.
- North Davidson Garbage Service in Davidson County ($20,000) – North Davidson will purchase additional recycling carts to expand its residential curbside recycling program.
- Powerhouse Recycling in Rowan County ($75,000) – Powerhouse Recycling will install an advanced solar panel recycling line with improved technology for recovering glass from end-of-life photovoltaic panels.
- Chowan Metals in Chowan County ($10,000) – Chowan Metals will purchase a dump trailer to increase scrap metal collection capacity and expand its service area.
- Closed Loop in Mecklenburg County ($29,500) – Closed Loop will purchase textile processing and water treatment equipment to expand laundering and reuse of industrial textiles.
- Lyon Roofing in Madison County ($60,000) – Lyon Roofing will purchase processing and handling equipment to establish a new aggregation site for agricultural and construction scrap metal recycling.
- The Industrial Commons in Burke County ($30,000) – The Industrial Commons will purchase spinning equipment components to establish in-house yarn production using recycled textiles.
- Metech Recycling in Person County ($75,000) – Metech Recycling will install a solar panel recycling line at its Roxboro facility to process end-of-life photovoltaic modules.
State recycling business grants awarded in Spring 2025 were expected to generate more than 30 jobs, nearly $950,000 in new, private business investments, and a reduction in the state’s dependence on landfill disposal.
9 companies that collect, process and manufacture new products with recycled materials received a total of $400,000 in funds from N.C. DEQ’s Recycling Business Assistance Center in 2025. Grants support increases in plastic and organics processing capacity, upgrades to material recovery facilities, expansion of solar panel recycling, and increased collections for a variety of other recyclables.
Selected projects include:
- CRC Stateline in Cleveland County ($60,000) - CRC will purchase a shredder along with infeed and outfeed conveyors to increase processing of recycled plastic by 30%.
- McGill Environmental in Chatham County ($35,000) - McGill will purchase a propane heating system for their aerated static piles to increase compost production during colder months.
- MDT Bromley in Henderson County ($75,000) - MDT Bromley will purchase a wash line and dryer to add capacity and ability to handle dirtier recycled agricultural and industrial plastics.
- North Davidson Garbage in Davidson County ($20,000) - North Davidson Garbage will purchase 95-gallon recycling carts to restart their recycling hauling service and improve recycling participation in the region.
- Powerhouse Recycling in Rowan County ($75,000) - Powerhouse will purchase a new solar panel recycling line that can recycle a wider range of solar panels more efficiently.
- R3cycle in Union County ($45,000) - R3cycle will purchase a ballistic separator to increase the speed, efficiency, and quality of sorting single-stream recycling.
- RDS in Pitt County ($30,000) - RDS will purchase a forklift to optimize MRF operations and increase hourly tonnage.
- RePolyTex in Rockingham County ($40,000) - RepolyTex will purchase a CNC machine to increase production of composite boards made from recycled plastic recovered from electronics.
- Tiny House Community Development ($20,000) - Tiny House Community Development will purchase a truck to double hauling capacity and a densifier to expand foam recycling operations.
State recycling business grants awarded in Spring 2024 were expected to generate approximately 146 jobs, more than $4.2 million in new, private business investments and a reduction in the state’s dependence on landfill disposal.
17 companies that collect, process and manufacture new products with recycled materials received more than $700,000 in funds from N.C. DEQ’s Recycling Business Assistance Center in 2024. Grants support increases in plastic and paper processing capacity, upgrades to material recovery facilities, and improved markets for a variety of other recyclables.
Selected projects include:
- Adel Recycling in Iredell County ($45,000) - Adel Recycling will purchase a forklift and dry van trailer to aid in the processing of non-woven plastic textiles.
- Brunson Recycling in McDowell County ($40,000) - Brunson Recycling will purchase a float-sink tank to process medical plastics more efficiently.
- Cirtex in Iredell County ($60,000) - Cirtex will purchase sorting equipment and a forklift for a new textile material recovery facility (MRF).
- Closed Loop Recycling in Mecklenburg County ($60,000) - Closed Loop Recycling will purchase a washer and dryer to expand their laundering business, facilitating the replacement of single-use industrial textiles with reusable options including personal protective equipment, rags, and absorbent mats.
- Clothes Bin in Mecklenburg County ($30,000) - Clothes Bin will purchase 15 smart collection containers to recycle textile waste and clothing.
- Curbside Management in Buncombe County ($40,000) - Curbside Management will purchase an additional route collection truck to expand curbside recycling services to new communities.
- Garbage Pal in Henderson County ($10,000) - Garbage Pal will purchase a baler to process cardboard from their construction and demolition debris sorting operation.
- Gateway Recovery in Alexander County ($40,000) - Gateway Recovery will purchase a shredder to improve efficiency and add capacity to recycle more coax cables.
- Green Metals, Inc in Randolph County ($60,000) - Green Metals will purchase a baler to process recyclable materials from Toyota's battery manufacturing plant.
- IMC Metals in Cleveland County ($40,000) - IMC Metals will purchase a spectrometer to analyze incoming and certify outgoing material samples at their copper recycling facility.
- Jackson Paper in Jackson County ($30,000) - Jackson Paper will purchase a bale clamp truck to increase efficiency at their cardboard recycling mill and allow for regular maintenance without downtime.
- Piedmont Disposal in Forsyth County ($30,000) - Piedmont Disposal will purchase a forklift to help increase operational efficiency by continuously feeding their industrial paper shredding line.
- Powerhouse Recycling in Rowan County ($60,000) - Powerhouse Recycling will purchase an additional glass removal machine to double the current capacity to recycle solar panels.
- Recycling and Disposal Solutions (RDS) in Pitt County ($60,000) - RDS will purchase a sortline system to upgrade a regional material recovery facility (MRF) serving eastern North Carolina.
- Reeder Pallet in Moore County ($25,000) - Reeder Pallet will purchase a three-tier conveyer system to increase operational efficiency for rebuilding and recycling pallets.
- Simply Green Recycling in Burke County ($30,000) - Simply Green Recycling will purchase 65-gallon and 95-gallon carts to replace 18-gallon bins and expand their customer base for residential and commercial curbside recycling services.
- Terraloam in Cabarrus County ($40,000) - Terraloam will purchase a tractor, soil sifter, and compost filter tubes to increase operational capacity for composting biobased hospital gowns and bags.
State recycling business grants awarded in Spring 2023 were expected to generate approximately 135 jobs, more than $1.3 million in new, private business investments and a reduction in the state’s dependence on landfill disposal.
Ten companies that collect, process and manufacture new products with recycled materials received more than $440,000 in funds from N.C. DEQ’s Recycling Business Assistance Center in 2023. Grants support increases in plastic and paper processing capacity, upgrades to material recovery facilities, and improved markets for a variety of other recyclables.
Selected projects include:
- Clear Path Recycling in Cumberland County ($60,000) - Clear Path Recycling will purchase a silo to provide buffer capacity for continuity of plant operations and increased efficiency.
- Curbside Management in Buncombe County ($60,000) - Curbside Management will install an additional optical sorter, conveyor belt, and relocate the AMP Robot to optimize the capture of materials.
- *Direct Pack Recycling in Richmond County ($60,000) - Direct Pack Recycling will purchase a plastic material wash line to recover PET from MRFs in the Carolinas and southeast for use in their rPET thermoform manufacturing facility in Richmond County. The project is expected to create 120 jobs.
- Ghost Fleet Oyster Co in Pender County ($20,000) - Ghost Fleet Oyster Co. will purchase food grade buckets, trashcans, dump trailer and compact tractor to expand oyster shell collection and management from restaurants and large dump sites.
- Material Matters in Randolph County ($60,000) - Material Matters Inc. will purchase conveyors, hoppers and box dumpers for material handling to expand plastic recycling capacity. The project is expected to create 2 jobs.
- Piedmont Disposal in Forsyth County ($40,000) - Piedmont Disposal will purchase a conveyor to feed their paper shredder more efficiently and increase overall production capacity. The project is expected to create 2 jobs.
- Powerhouse Recycling in Rowan County ($60,000) - Powerhouse Recycling will purchase a semi truck to transport solar panels to their facility for recycling which will lower transportation costs for customers. The project is expected to create 6 jobs.
- R3cycle in Union County ($20,000) - R3cycle will purchase a steam boiler to remove labels and glue from PET flake to improve quality.
- Simply Green Recycling in Burke County ($22,500) - Simply Green Recycling will purchase 65-gallon recycling carts to replace 18-gallon bins to improve efficiency and recycling recovery.
- Verity Recycling in Randolph County ($40,000) - Verity Recycling will purchase a truck and storage containers to expand their nursery pot reuse and recycling program to Warren and surrounding counties. The project is expected to create 5 jobs.
* Project was not executed
Final Report
All RBDG grantees are required to submit a final report.
A draft final report must be submitted to DEACS at least 30 days prior to the contract end date and a final report must be submitted by the contract end date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recycling businesses in North Carolina are eligible to apply. A recycling business is defined as a business or nonprofit that accepts, collects, and/or recycles materials from outside sources to create a value-added feedstock, intermediary material, or end-use recycled product.
Outside sources: means accepting recyclable materials from external companies or organizations. For example, a manufacturer cannot apply for grant funding to recycle their own internal scrap materials.
No. You can request any amount up to the maximum. The amount you request does not affect the competitiveness of your proposal.
Contracts typically begin on March 1 of the grant year. Expenses incurred before the start date of the fully executed contract are not reimbursable. Contracts must have signatures from both the grantee and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to be fully executed.
DEQ aims to send award notifications by January following the grant application period.
Successful proposals:
- Include clear data, appropriate details, and reference the project throughout.
- Explain how proposed purchases will directly improve or expand current operations.
- Include tangible expected results and the calculations behind them (e.g., additional tons diverted, new jobs created, operational savings expected).
- Justify the infrastructure or market need for the project.
- Demonstrate adequate business experience and planning to ensure the long-term success of the proposed project.
Yes. Requests typically exceed available funds, and not all proposals receive funding. DEQ may also award a grant at a lower level than requested in order to support as many qualifying projects as possible. If partial funding is offered, applicants will have the opportunity to accept or decline. Those who accept must update their proposal to reflect the revised award amount.
Eligible expenses include capital costs that expand or improve recycling capacity and efficiency. Examples include sorting machinery, shredders, balers, roll-off containers, carts, trailers, building improvements, trucks, and forklifts.
What can grant funds not be used for?:
Funds cannot be used for land purchases, salaries or labor costs, general operating expenses, marketing costs, or contract processing fees.
Yes. A quote is required for all budgeted items.
- Quotes don’t need to be for the exact model purchased, but should reasonably reflect expected costs.
- Acceptable examples include listings for new or used equipment from a dealer or website.
You must provide a 50% match of the awarded grant amount.
- Example: If awarded $50,000, you must provide a match of at least $25,000, resulting in a project budget of $75,000.
- Larger projects are acceptable; match may exceed 50%.
- Use our Grant Calculator Tool to help you plan your proposal.
- Note: Calculations generated by this tool are for informational purposes only and do not guarantee an award amount or funding decision.
All funds are provided on a reimbursement basis.
To request reimbursement, you must submit:
- Invoices for purchases made (approved budgeted items only).
- Vendor contact information.
- A cover letter on letterhead stating purchases made, amount spent, and requesting grant reimbursement (template available).
Additional notes:
- DEQ independently verifies purchases and payments with vendors.
- Purchases made prior to the contract start date or after the contract end date will not be reimbursed.
- DEQ reimburses up to 90% of eligible grant funds during the project. The final 10% is withheld until DEQ approves the final report.
Applicants must provide:
- A completed Contact Form (form provided in RFP).
- Registration in NC e-procurement through the Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP).
- If already registered, confirm the eVP address matches the facility where you want reimbursement sent.
- A completed Grant Proposal form describing the project (form provided in RFP).
- A preliminary Grant Budget and Timeline (form provided in RFP).
- An Official Vendor Quote for equipment or work to be completed.
- A completed Business Form (form provided in RFP).
- Three required forms:
- No Overdue Taxes Certification (with notarized signature).
- Conflict of Interest Policy.
- Statement of Non-Debarment
- Nonprofits only: IRS Federal Tax-Exempt Letter or 501(c) Verification.
(Templates available here.)