Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program | EPA I OLEM ORCR 23 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA I OLEM ORCR 23 02

The Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program is an EPA funding opportunity (EPA I OLEM ORCR 23 02) that supports community-facing projects designed to improve how residents understand and participate in recycling. The central purpose is to help people clearly identify what materials are accepted in their local residential or community recycling programs, strengthen separate collection of recyclables from trash, and ultimately increase recycling collection rates while reducing contamination in the recycling stream. In practical terms, the EPA is looking for proposals that make recycling rules easier to follow, reduce confusion that leads to wish-cycling, and help communities capture more clean, marketable recyclable materials.

A major emphasis of the program is on education and outreach that is not generic, but tailored and effective. The EPA encourages applications that use evidence-based messaging and proven communication strategies, meaning applicants should rely on approaches that are informed by research, testing, and real-world results rather than assumptions. The opportunity highlights that successful recycling outreach goes beyond simply distributing information; it should reflect community-informed messaging by researching the intended audience, building trust, addressing barriers that prevent participation, and clearly explaining the benefits of the desired behavior. The EPA also signals strong interest in campaigns that not only improve recycling, but also increase upstream and complementary actions such as prevention, reuse, repair, remanufacture, anaerobic digestion, and composting, as well as efforts specifically aimed at lowering contamination.

Environmental justice is a prominent priority in this program. The EPA is seeking projects that directly address environmental justice concerns by focusing predominantly on communities experiencing disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related, and cumulative impacts, along with related economic challenges. The opportunity explicitly points to communities of color, low-income communities, tribal and indigenous populations, and where relevant other vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and people with pre-existing medical conditions. Competitive projects under this priority would be expected to demonstrate a clear understanding of the specific burdens these communities face, and to design outreach that is accessible, culturally and linguistically appropriate where needed, and aligned with local realities and constraints.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary EPA opportunity funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically implies substantial federal involvement compared to a standard grant, so awardees should expect active coordination with the EPA during project implementation. The program lists an award ceiling of $2,000,000 and anticipates approximately 25 awards. The CFDA number is 66.921. Eligibility is labeled as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the announcement’s eligibility section. The opportunity was created on November 14, 2022, with an original closing date of January 16, 2023, and applicants are directed to consult Section IV of the official announcement for the controlling close date information.

Overall, this grant program is aimed at helping communities improve the performance of their recycling systems by investing in well-designed consumer education and outreach that increases correct participation, reduces contamination, and supports broader materials management strategies, while prioritizing projects that meaningfully advance environmental justice outcomes.

• The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment, infrastructure investment and jobs act (iija) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.921.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 14, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 16, 2023 See Section IV of the funding oppotunity announcement for close date information.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for EPA I OLEM ORCR 23 02

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