U.S. Environmental protection agency's (EPA's) solid waste infrastructure for recycling (swifr) grants for states and territories will fund activities that support long-term planning and data…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $673,004 Cooperative Agreement to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection under the agency's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grants for States and Territories program (CFDA 66.920). This grant funding will enable the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to enhance the state's efforts to support long-term planning and data collection needs to demonstrate progress toward the national recycling goal and food loss and waste reduction goal, as well as advance a circular economy for materials. Key activities include developing and implementing comprehensive data collection efforts, conducting waste management system capacity analysis, performing an "away-from-home" waste and recycling study, supporting state-led implementation of plans, and updating the state's WasteCalc tool. The expected outcomes include a reduction in post-consumer materials being disposed, prolonged lifespan of disposal facilities, and an increase in recycling - resulting in environmental benefits through reduced raw materials use, water consumption, and emissions. The intended beneficiaries are elected government officials, policymakers, and regulators at the state and local level in Florida.

U.S. Environmental protection agency's (EPA'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 and 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. This action approves an award in the amount of $673,004 to the florida department of environmental protection to enhance the state of florida efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. Florida will assess existing processing, treatment, and disposal capacity at florida's solid waste management and recycling facilities and identify the need for infrastructure development in the resource recovery sector, evaluate the amount of solid waste attributed from out-of-state and in-state visitors with respect to florida's solid waste generation, composition, and disposition, and update the statewide tool used for estimating waste composition and materials disposition - wastecalc.activities:the activities include: develop, strengthen, and/or implement comprehensive data collection efforts; waste management system capacity analysis; away from home waste and recycling study; support the state-led implementation of plan; and update wastecalc. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include: a database and summary report that quantifies the current and planned materials acceptance capacity of post-consumer materials management facilities in florida; a dataset, predictive model, and summary report that quantifies the role of visitors on florida's waste stream and the opportunities IT represents for increasing recycling and waste reduction; an updated support tool (wastecalc). The expected outcomes include a reduction in post-consumer materials being disposed of, a prolonged lifespan of disposal facilities, and an increase in recycling; this in turn will results in environmental benefits through a reduction in raw materials, water consumption, and deleterious emissions to florida's environment. The intended beneficiaries include elected government officials, policy makers, and regulators at the state and local level.