Biden administration announces largest recycling investment in 30 years

The Biden administration says it is making the largest investment in 30 years in recycling.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would put more than $100 million toward recycling, saying the effort is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A total of $73 million will go to 25 communities to improve waste management systems, including the purchase of new fleets of recycling trucks and bins, facility upgrades and construction of facilities for recycling and composting.

Of that, about 76 percent is slated to go to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities. 

Another $32 million will go to states and territories to help with planning and data collection. 

“This will allow resources to be used more efficiently and will reduce the impact that waste materials have on our planet and on the climate,” EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe told reporters.

Recycling, particularly plastic recycling, has come under some scrutiny in recent years from groups like Greenpeace, which has found that most plastic is not actually recycled.