The Recycling Partnership Grants

Enriched Impact Investor · Found: 2026-03-11 11:10

US-focused grants improving recycling access, collection efficiency, and processing capabilities. Supports infrastructure development, recycling carts, and community education. Open to US communities, municipalities, and recycling facilities.

Source: https://recyclingpartnership.org/grants/

Funding Details

Funder

The Recycling Partnership

Funding Goal

Improve recycling access, collections, operations, and processing across U.S. communities and materials recovery facilities through grants and technical assistance.

Funding Amount

Nearly $50 million in total grants distributed to 370 communities since 2014; individual grant amounts not specified on this page.

How to Apply

For community grants: email grants@recyclingpartnership.org. For processor/MRF grants: fill out an interest form via HubSpot link on the grants page.

Target Region

United States

Contact

Email: grants@recyclingpartnership.org | Phone: 877-514-8774 | Mailing Address: The Recycling Partnership, 20 F Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:22

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be located in the United States
• Community programs must be publicly operated or involve a municipality/local government
• MRF/processor applicants may be publicly, privately, or non-profit owned

Project Scope

• Project must focus on recycling access, collection efficiency, contamination reduction, or processing capacity
• Community grants cover curbside, drop-off, multifamily, or contamination reduction programs

Required Documents

• Submit initial interest via email (community) or HubSpot form (MRF/processor)

Constraints

• No publicly stated application deadline — contact organization to understand current availability

Summary

The Recycling Partnership is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that provides grants and technical assistance to communities and recycling facilities across the United States. Their grant programs target two main audiences: community recycling programs (municipalities and local governments) and materials recovery facilities (MRFs)/processors. The organization has invested nearly $50 million in grants to 370 communities since their first grant in 2014. Community grants support curbside recycling programs, drop-off programs, contamination reduction initiatives, and multifamily recycling. The MRF/processor grants are designed to help equipment manufacturers and facilities boost throughput and increase capacity. Eligible applicants for processing grants include publicly, privately, and non-profit owned and operated MRFs across the United States. Beyond grants, The Recycling Partnership offers a broad ecosystem of tools including contamination reduction toolkits, behavior change programs, circular packaging assessment tools, and policy advocacy resources. They are also active in material-specific coalitions covering film and flexibles, PET, and polypropylene recycling. The program is ongoing and appears to be rolling rather than deadline-driven, with applicants encouraged to contact the organization directly or fill out an interest form. The Recycling Partnership is funded by more than 80 corporate partners and operates at the intersection of industry, government, and civil society to advance a circular economy in the U.S.

Historical Context

The first grant was awarded in 2014 to provide recycling carts in Florence, Alabama. As of the page's writing, the organization has provided nearly $50 million in grants to 370 communities. Case studies and press releases on the page date from 2020 to 2024, including a September 2024 announcement for Flint, Michigan involving over 68,000 free curbside carts.

Why it was added

Impact investor/blended finance for plastic waste

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