Grants for Recycling Businesses

2022 Recycling Business Development Grant Round - Open

The 2022 Recycling Business Development Grant round is now open. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Applicants can download the RFP for the 2022 grant round by selecting one of the following links (PDF or Word). Please submit completed applications to Mike Greene at mike.greene@ncdenr.gov.

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.

Glass Equipment and Infrastructure Grant - Open

The Glass Equipment and Infrastructure Grant. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 31, 2022. Applicants can download the RFP for the grant round by selecting one of the following links (PDF or Word). Please submit completed applications to Matt James at matt.james@ncdenr.gov. DEACS is soliciting applications for organizations seeking to purchase glass recycling equipment at single stream material recovery facilities (MRFs) or equipment for community drop-off glass collection. The purpose of this grant funding is to produce higher quality recycled glass cullet and to increase the amount of glass bottles and jars recycled in the state of North Carolina.

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.