TN Recycling Equipment Grants

The TN Recycling Equipment Grants program supports local governments and non-profit organizations in acquiring essential recycling equipment. Key priorities include aiding applicants who have received prior recycling rebates, fostering partnerships, and employing developmentally disabled individuals. Eligible equipment encompasses recycling carts, compactors, balers, and collection trucks. A local match of 10-50% is required, and certain counties are ineligible due to previous rebates. This initiative aims to enhance recycling capabilities across Tennessee.

The Recycling Equipment Grants program enables local governments and non-profit recycling organizations working with local governments to purchase key pieces of recycling equipment.
There are three priorities for this grant:

• Applicants that received or were eligible to receive the Recycling Rebate between the Fiscal Years 2011 and 2015.
• Applicants that develop public/private or public/public partnerships.
• Applicants that employ developmentally disabled individuals, as defined in T.C.A. §33-1-101 (11).
• Projects

Eligible recycling equipment includes key recycling equipment needed for collection, processing, operations, or to prepare recovered materials for transport and marketing. Key recycling equipment includes, but is not limited to recycling carts made with recycled content and embedded RFID tags, containers, compactors, balers, glass crushers, densifiers, and sorting systems, and fork lifts. Collection trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or higher will be considered.

Eligibility

Tennessee counties, cities, solid waste authorities and organizations which have been determined to be tax exempt nonprofit recycling organizations who are designated as 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service may apply for grants under T.C.A. § 68-211-825. A local match of 10 to 50 percent is required based on an economic index that includes factors such as per capita income and property values in the jurisdiction to be served.

Ineligibility

Counties and the cities within those counties eligible to receive a recycling rebate, as directed by T.C.A. § 68-211-825(b), are not eligible to receive a recycling equipment grant.The following Recycling Rebate counties and cities within those counties are not eligible for the recycling equipment grant for FY 2025-2026: Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Rutherford, and Shelby.Equipment that causes the applicant to directly compete with existing private enterprises in the applicant’s geographical area (T.C.A. § 68-211-825(a)) is not eligible under this grant. Other ineligible requests include collection trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) less than 10,000 pounds, measurement equipment eligible in the FY2018 Measurement Grant, and any equipment that aides in increased disposal of materials in Class I disposal facilities.
Applicants previously awarded a Recycling Equipment Grant from the Solid Waste Management Fund in the last two years that are currently under contract with open balances or who have failed to meet the obligations of additional Division of Solid Waste grant contracts are ineligible.