Chip Somodevilla photo via Getty Images
By Cole Rosengren, Senior Editor, Waste Dive
The Biden administration is calling for the U.S. EPA’s largest overall budget in history, at $11.2 billion, including $10 million in funding for a new Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) pilot grant program as a result of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act.
Per the fiscal year 2022 budget proposed on Friday, SWIFR will “build innovation in the recycling industry” and focus on “improving solid waste management infrastructure and post-consumer materials management,” with climate change mitigation described as a “cornerstone” of the program.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also announced last week up to $14.5 million in research and development funding for “projects to develop economically viable solutions for converting plastic films to more valuable materials and design new plastics that are more recyclable and biodegradable.”
Heading into 2021, a wide range of stakeholders in the recycling and plastics sectors were cautiously optimistic about the Biden administration paying greater attention to related issues. While the Trump administration received credit for convening a range of public and private sector leaders to discuss recycling via the EPA, it was also criticized for repeatedly attempting to cut that agency’s budget.
As is the case with presidential budget proposals, the final details can often change considerably through the Congressional appropriations process.
Biden’s proposed budget for EPA includes a number of relevant items around Superfund sites, PFAS and environmental justice. This includes a potential new assistant administrator focused on environmental justice.
The administration is proposing $1.22 million in additional funding for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs compared to enacted levels for the current fiscal year. This includes an increase for waste minimization and recycling work, which the previous administration singled out for significant cuts. EPA budget documents indicate the agency’s longstanding work on sustainable materials management and food waste will continue, including implementation of a national recycling strategy and possible “additional actions needed to support a circular economy.”
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