This agreement provides funding from the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $390,075 Cooperative Agreement to the Washington Department of Ecology under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Grant Program (CFDA 66.920). The purpose of this 22-month award is to enhance Washington's efforts to support a circular economy for materials management through a statewide market development platform. Specifically, the funding will establish a Circular Economy Accelerator program to provide technical assistance, business development, networking, and investment pitch opportunities for start-up and expanding businesses, small/minority/women-owned enterprises, and community projects focused on waste prevention, recycling, reuse, and organics management. The anticipated outcomes include establishing new information exchange networks, increasing program participation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, diverting municipal solid waste from landfills, and creating new jobs. No subawards are included in this Cooperative Agreement.

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. The purpose of this award is to enhance the washington department of ecology's efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. The purpose of this award is to enhance washington state's efforts to meet the swifr grants elements. Washington state will implement a circular economy accelerator, through a statewide market development platform, for online support services and resources to innovators and communities working on waste prevention, reuse, repair, recycling, and organics management.activities:washington state will meet the following project objectives and activities: the swifr grant will support ecology's SWM program priorities, the state solid waste plan, and the legislative directive for the recycling development center: growing market development, focusing on waste prevention, reducing environmental disparities, and reducing climate impacts. Ecology will continue to collaborate with interested local governments, the hired consultant, and community leaders on this project. Ecology will use the swifr grant to fund one year of a statewide market development platform's accelerator program. With these funds, ecology will be able to continue to provide this circular economy accelerator to business and community projects focused on waste prevention and reduction, recycling, repair, and organics. The accelerator offers a series of workshops in business and technical planning support, networking opportunities, and pitch development. The culminating pitch showcase puts these business and community projects in front of potential partners and investors. The statewide market development platform's objective is to provide innovative business and community projects with technical assistance, mentoring, networking, and preparing a pitch to pursue additional funding. Opportunities are offered to start-up or expanding businesses, including small, women, and minority-owned businesses, as well as community projects. Project proposals focus on preventing waste, improving the reuse and repair market, or improving and innovating recycling, recovery, or end uses of material, including organics management. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:this grant will support washington's solid waste plan and the legislative directive for the recycling development center by growing market development, focusing on waste prevention, and reducing climate impacts. Washington will create a circular economy accelerator for business and community projects, focused on increasing markets for recyclables and compost and bolstering reuse and repair markets through technical assistance, networking opportunities and mentoring for start-up or expanding recycling businesses and community projects. The anticipated outputs will include a statewide circular economy accelerator program and accelerator programming providing technical assistance, business development, networking, and exposure to potential investors. Expected outcomes will include networks for information exchange, increased use of the program, greenhouse gases reduced from more sustainable materials management, tons of municipal solid waste diverted from landfills for recycling, composting or reuse/repair, and jobs created. The intended beneficiaries include WA dept of ecology, citizens of WA state, human health, and the environment.