# Understanding the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023

This bill creates a new federal grant program to help communities that don't have good access to recycling services. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will give out grants—ranging from $500,000 to $15 million each—to states, local governments, Native American tribes, and public-private partnerships that want to improve their recycling systems. The program will run from 2024 through 2027, with $30 million available each year.

The bill focuses specifically on "underserved communities"—places where recycling is either too far away, too expensive to use, or where the existing recycling facilities can't handle all the recyclable materials people are producing. Think of a rural area where the nearest recycling center is 100 miles away, or a growing neighborhood where the local recycling facility is overwhelmed. The EPA will prioritize grants for communities that have fewer than one recycling facility within a 75-mile radius. The program uses what's called a "hub-and-spoke" model, meaning it creates transfer stations (collection points) that gather recyclables and send them to larger processing facilities, making the system more efficient and accessible.

Eligible projects can use grant money to build new transfer stations, expand curbside pickup programs, or create partnerships between government and private companies to reduce collection costs. However, the money cannot be used for recycling education programs. Recipients will need to contribute at least 10 percent of the project cost themselves, though the EPA can waive this requirement if a community faces serious financial hardship. At least 70 percent of the annual funding must go specifically to underserved communities. Two years after the first grant is awarded, the EPA must report to Congress on how the program is working and whether it's actually increasing recycling rates in participating communities.

Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023

Miller-Meeks, Mariannette

Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a pilot grant program for improving recycling accessibility in communities. The EPA may award grants to states, local governments, Indian tribes, or public-private partnerships.