Recycling Works Newsletter Fall 2023
RBAC's quarterly newsletter discusses current topics of interest to recycling businesses, including information on financing opportunities, commodity markets, and new technologies.
Quick Links:
2024 Recycling Business Development Grant is now open!
Proposals are now being accepted for 2024 Recycling Business Development Grants. This grant opportunity is open to North Carolina recycling businesses for projects that will increase or improve the collection, processing, or end use of recyclable materials. Standard projects are eligible to apply to apply for up to $40,000 while priority projects can apply for $60,000. Priority areas for 2024 include MRF upgrades, paper recycling, textile recycling, or recycling of solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, or lithium-ion batteries.
Proposals are due Thursday, November 16, 2023, by 5:00 PM. For more information or assistance please contact Mike Greene at 919-707-8137.
2024 Food Waste Reduction Grant is now open!
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 of in landfills. With the release of this Request for Proposals (RFP), DEACS is seeking proposals that support food waste reduction through the expansion of food donation networks or compost operations, including collection and hauling.
DEACS has prioritized Edible Food Recovery and New In-State Compost Infrastructure projects. Applicants that qualify for priority projects are eligible to apply for up to $60,000. Standard Project Grants are eligible for $40,000 and include any projects that increase the tons of wasted food diverted from landfill disposal but fall outside of the 2024 priorities. The cash match requirement for all projects is 20% of the grant award.
Applications are due Wednesday, October 25, 2023, by 5:00 PM. For more information or assistance please contact Christine Wittmeier at 919-707-8121
Multifamily Recycling Grant!
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.
PVC Recycling Grants
The Vinyl Institute's VIABILITY Grant program is a first of its kind industry-wide recycling grant program aimed at accelerating post-consumer PVC recycling across the country. The grant program will make available up to $3 million in funds over the next three years from VI’s four PVC resin manufacturers -- Formosa, Oxy, Shintech, and Westlake. Individual grants issued through VIABILITY are available to qualifying industry collaborations such as trade associations, material recovery facilities, construction and demolition waste facilities, recyclers, or colleges and universities in amounts up to $500,000. The funds may be used for the purchase of equipment, process investments, research and development, educational programs, and program management that supports long-lasting and sustainable recycling of vinyl products. To learn more about VIABILITY: https://www.vinylinfo.org/recycling/
New Solar Panel Legislation
Session Law 2023-58, passed in June of 2023, establishes decommissioning requirements for utility-scale solar projects. The new legislation requires the owner of a utility-scale solar project capable of generating two or more megawatts of alternating current that is directly connected to the electrical grid to:
-
Properly decommission the project upon cessation of operations and restore the property.
-
Register with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and pay a fee.
-
Submit a decommissioning plan and establish financial assurance for new and rebuilt/expanded utility-scale solar projects
Additional information is provided on NCDEQ’s Division of Waste Management Utility-Scale Solar Management Program webpage.
Work of the NC Circular Economy Council continues
NCDEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser has convened the North Carolina Circular Economy Council to identify ways to expand and accelerate the beneficial impacts of recycling in the state. Members of the Council include leading recycling companies, non-profit organizations, industry associations, and product manufacturers, many of which have a national or global reach.
The Council will continue to meet through 2023. Planned activities include conducting tours at innovative recycling facilities and helping to identify strategies that can help make recycling a stronger economic engine for the state.
The next Council meeting will take place in conjunction with the 2023 SERDC Symposium in Asheville on Wed., Oct. 18-19, 2023 (see below).
Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC) Symposium
October 18-19, 2023
Asheville, NC
The SERDC Symposium is a meeting of recycling industry professionals that aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange within the recycling community.
The Symposium’s theme “Restoring Confidence in Recycling” is well aligned with the work of the NC Circular Economy Council. NCDEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser will provide the keynote address and recognize the work of the Council. In addition, this year SERDC will announce the 2023 Champions of the Southeast award winners, recognizing leaders in the Southeast that are making significant impacts in the recycling industry.
Carolina Plastics Recycling Council – Booth at SERDC Symposium
Makers of the Your Bottle Means Jobs campaign, the Carolinas Plastics Recycling Council (CPRC), invites you to join us at the 2023 SERDC Symposium.
CPRC is a two-state organization supporting the plastic recycling industry in North and South Carolina. The goal is to increase plastic bottle recycling collection and communicate with decision-makers about the current and potential impacts of plastic bottle recovery in the Carolinas.
Come see us at the Your Bottle Means Jobs Booth, so we can discuss plastic recycling in the Carolinas!