Bozeman – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1,605,660 from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to develop a Sustainable Organics Management Program which will provide year-round recycling and composting services for organics and food waste in Bozeman, Montana. EPA is also making $632,629 available to the state of Montana to improve solid waste management planning and data collection in communities across the state. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding to expand and create new waste management facilities in Montana is part of EPA’s largest recycling investment in 30 years.

“EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funds are helping communities across the nation reuse waste and reduce local and global environmental impacts,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker.  “We are proud to support a growing program that will serve Bozeman residents for many years to come.”

EPA’s grant award will help the city create a Bozeman Sustainable Organics Management Program with new residential collection infrastructure to provide single- and multi-family households with year-round diversion services for organic waste, including food waste. These investments include the purchase of carts, collection trucks, technology improvements and program education and outreach to residents and businesses. The city estimates the program will serve up to 7,000 households by 2026 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,950 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.

“Our seasonal yard waste composting program is already popular with residents, so to expand this service year-round and offer food waste composting for the first time is truly exciting for our community,” said Bozeman Mayor Cyndy Andrus. “We’re grateful to have been awarded this grant and look forward to the many benefits this program will provide."

The grant award to the City of Bozeman is part f the agency's newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity. As part of today’s announcement, EPA selected 25 communities across the nation to receive grants totaling more than $73 million under the newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity. In addition, the agency is making available approximately $32 million for states and territories to improve solid waste management planning, data collection and plan implementation.

EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program is advancing the Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.

These grants represent important steps toward achieving the EPA’s National Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal and will help build an economy devoted to keeping materials, products and services in circulation for as long as possible, what’s known as a circular economy.

Additional Background
Today’s announcement for states, territories and communities is the first round of funding from this new grant program. In the coming months, EPA will announce the selected recipients of the recycling grants for Tribes and intertribal consortia, as well as the recipients of EPA’s new Recycling Education and Outreach grant program. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $275 million total from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026 for grants authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, the largest investment in recycling in 30 years. The recycling grants are supplemented with additional funding provided through EPA’s annual appropriations. EPA has selected these entities to receive funding for recycling infrastructure projects and anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. 

For details about the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program selectees and other Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related funding opportunities, visit the EPA recycling grants webpage.