This action approves an award in the amount of $713,380 to georgia department of natural resources (gdnr)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 has awarded a $713,380 Cooperative Agreement to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program (CFDA 66.920). The purpose of this award is to enhance GDNR's efforts to support long-term planning and data collection to demonstrate progress toward national recycling and food loss and waste reduction goals, as well as advance a circular economy for materials.

Under this agreement, GDNR will conduct a statewide data collection effort to develop a report for Georgia's regional commissions and local governments. This report will incorporate strategies to advance post-consumer materials management in solid waste management planning. The expected outcomes include quantifying tons of post-consumer materials collected, recycled, and composted, greenhouse gas reductions, and the number of temporary or permanent jobs created. The award period is from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2026.

This agreement provides funding from the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA). Environmental protection agency's solid waste infrastructure for recycling (swifr) grants for states and territories will fund activities that support long-term planning and data collection needs to demonstrate progress toward the national recycling goal, food loss and waste reduction goal and advance a circular economy for materials, as well as support the state-led implementation of plans to advance post-consumer materials management. The purpose of this award is to enhance the georgia department of natural resources efforts to meet the solid waste infrastructure for recycling grants elements. Activities:the state of georgia will conduct a state-wide data collection effort to develop a report for the georgia's regional commissions and local governments to incorporate strategies to advance post-consumer materials management in solid waste management planningsubrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the expected outcomes include: tons of post-consumer materials collected, recycled composted, tons of post-consumer materials generated per material type and generating sector by region greenhouse gas reduced (in MTCO2E) from collection, recycling, composting, or management via other management pathways in the state, number of temporary or permanent jobs created by region, and publish final study. The intended beneficiaries include state of georgia residents.