Recycling Equipment Grant

Recycling Equipment Grant is sponsored by Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC). Supports local governments and non-profit organizations in acquiring essential recycling equipment to enhance recycling capabilities across Tennessee.

Recycling Equipment Grant Recycling Equipment Grant Waste Management Section Main Page Division of Land Protection Tennessee counties, cities, solid waste authorities, and organizations that have been determined to be tax-exempt nonprofit recycling organizations designated as 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service may apply for grants under T. C. A.

§ 68-211-825. Counties that are eligible to receive a recycling rebate, as directed by T. C.

A. § 68-211-825(b), and are not eligible to receive a recycling equipment grant. Municipalities within those counties are eligible to receive the Recycling Equipment Grant OR the Recycling Rebate.

Should they not apply for the Recycling Rebate, those funds will be surrendered back to the county's allocation. The municipality that applies for the Recycling Equipment Grant is no longer eligible to claim the allocation of the Recycling Rebate, regardless of the decision of award for the Recycling Equipment Grant, as the Recycling Rebate credits are in lieu of recycling equipment grants.

501(c)(3) non-profit status entities are eligible for the Recycling Equipment Grant and not the Recycling Rebate. The following county governments are eligible for the Recycling Rebate and not the Recycling Equipment Grant for FY 2025-26: Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Rutherford, and Shelby .

There are three priorities for this grant: Applicants who received or were eligible to receive the Recycling Rebate between the Fiscal Years 2011 and 2015 Applicants that develop public/private or public/public partnerships Applicants that employ developmentally disabled individuals, as defined in T. C. A.

§33-1-101 (11) Eligible recycling equipment includes key recycling equipment needed for collection, processing, operations, or to prepare recovered materials for transport and marketing. Key recycling equipment includes, but is not limited to recycling carts made with recycled content and embedded RFID tags, containers, compactors, balers, glass crushers, densifiers, and sorting systems, and fork lifts.

Collection trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or higher will be considered. Equipment that causes the applicant to directly compete with existing private enterprises in the applicant’s geographical area (T. C.

A. § 68-211-825(a)) is not eligible under this grant. Other ineligible requests include collection trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) less than 10,000 pounds, measurement equipment eligible in the FY2018 Measurement Grant, and any equipment that aids in increased disposal of materials in Class I disposal facilities.

Furthermore, applicants previously awarded a Recycling Equipment Grant from the Solid Waste Management Fund in the last two years that are currently under contract with open balances or who have failed to meet the obligations of additional Division of Solid Waste grant contracts are ineligible.

Funding & Matching Requirements: The Recycling Equipment Grant takes an allocated funding amount into consideration by providing two funding allocations for applicants based upon the Four Tiers of an Integrated Solid Waste Management System, found in Table XV-1 of the 2025 Plan (pages 149-156).

The first competitive funding allocation will be for rural counties or municipalities with populations less than or equal to 50,000, and the cities, solid waste authorities, or non-profit organizations within those counties. The total grant offering is $500,000. 00 with a maximum award per applicant of $125,000.

Tiers 1 and 2 will compete with each other. The second competitive funding allocation will be for suburban and urban counties or municipalities with populations of 50,001 or greater, and the cities, solid waste authorities, or non-profit organizations within those counties. The total grant offering is $1,000,000.

00 with a maximum award per applicant of $250,000. Tiers 3 and 4 will compete with each other (excluding the top five most populous counties, which are ineligible for Recycling Equipment Grant funding under Tennessee Code Annotated section 68- 211-825(b)). Applications are rated on a blind, competitive basis.

A local match of 10 to 50 percent is required based on an economic index that includes factors such as per capita income and property values in the jurisdiction to be served. In-kind contributions will not be considered. Only materials identified in and approved through the application will be funded; therefore, an appropriate amount of research and planning should be conducted by the applicant.

View currently offered Materials Management program grants If you are interested in applying for this grant offering, please register and apply via the TDEC Online Grants System . Robin Chance, Grants Program Manager Amber Greene, Materials Management Program Administrator About the Grants Management System (GMS)