Investing in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling State and Territory Grant Fact Sheet Pennsylvania Grant Recipient Information Name: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection EPA Information Region: EPA Region 3 Highlights • Assess Pennsylvania's food recovery and recycling infrastructure and its plastics and paper commodity infrastructure. • Develop a best management practices document for the management of donated food and inedible food discards. • Identify and assess Pennsylvania's existing and potential environmental justice issues as they pertain to food recovery, and recycling, plastics, and paper recycling. Overview of Pennsylvania's Planned Activities Pennsylvania will conduct an in-depth inventory of existing food donation operations and facilities, as well as existing and proposed food-to-animal feed operations and composting and anaerobic digester facilities permitted to accept food waste. Pennsylvania will develop a document that identifies best management practices for increasing food donation as well as diversion of inedible or discarded food that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated. They will also conduct an in-depth inventory of major existing and proposed paper and plastic generation and collection points, followed by a report that identifies locations and opportunities to provide additional processing and recycled content manufacturing capacity. Lastly, Pennsylvania will compile existing environmental justice data to identify underserved areas of food donation activity, low recycling collection areas, and high recycling contamination rates, and develop a report recommending program adjustments. SWIFR Grants for States and Territories The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the largest EPA investment in recycling in 30 years to support National Recycling Strategy implementation and build a circular economy for all. As part of the Investing in America agenda, this funding can be used to develop or update plans to advance post-consumer materials management, implement those plans, and to improve data collection efforts. These grants also advance the Justice^ Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. EPA will make the award to Pennsylvania once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. EPA 530-F-23-008-PA ppa.gov/infrastructurp/SWIFR Spptpmbpr 2023 ------- |