Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 awarded the City of Cincinnati a Cooperative Agreement totaling $4,999,557 under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Infrastructure Grants program (CFDA 66.920), effective April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2029. This award supports the City's efforts to modernize and expand its curbside recycling infrastructure by procuring and deploying 80,000 new recycling carts to replace broken equipment and extend service to previously underserved households in targeted communities. The cart distribution initiative is designed to sustain Ohio's oldest curbside recycling program for an additional ten years and advance the City's waste diversion goals.

In conjunction with the infrastructure investment, the City will execute a comprehensive community outreach and education campaign to increase recycling participation rates, reinforce proper recycling practices, and provide targeted messaging to communities with lower participation levels. The award supports three primary activities: establishment and optimization of collection and materials management infrastructure, expansion of capacity for materials management, and demonstration of measurable increases in diversion and recycling rates. These combined efforts are intended to achieve substantial progress toward Cincinnati's objective of reaching a 90 percent municipal solid waste diversion rate by 2050. No sub-awards have been identified under this Cooperative Agreement.