The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy annually distributes millions of dollars in grants that help fund litter and waste reduction projects, recycling programs, scrap tire cleanups and collections for household hazardous waste, electronic waste and pharmaceuticals.

These grant programs are managed by the Grants Section and include the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program and the Litter Reduction and Recycling Program.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants Program is funded by a fee on solid waste disposed of in landfills, an annual retail business fee and a fee assessed on the sale of new tires. It provides grants to private, non-profit, and government organizations to finance integrated waste management programs and projects, including but not limited to:

· Recycling systems
· Market development for recyclable materials
· Intermediate processing facilities and facilities using recyclable materials in new products
· Food waste composting
· Yard waste composting and composting sewage sludge
· Waste reduction and waste exchange
· Household hazardous waste (HHW) programs
· Electronic waste collections
· Pharmaceutical collections
· The consolidation of solid waste disposals facilities and use of transfer stations
· Incineration for energy recovery.
· Scrap tire recycling and/or reduction projects
· Abandoned building deconstruction for smaller cities and counties

The Litter Reduction and Recycling Program is funded by a fee charged to certain manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of products that commonly contribute to litter. It provides grants for public education, clean up and recycling efforts.

In 2022, NDEE awarded more than $6.6 million in grants that supported 155 projects across the state. Under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive program, 27 projects were funded under the Business Fee and Disposal Fee categories and 77 grants were funded by the new tire fee. These projects include 33 scrap tire cleanup events and partially reimburse the cost of products made from recycled scrap tires. Through the 2022 Litter Reduction and Recycling Program, 51 grants were awarded for a variety of projects. To read more about this year’s grant awards, see NDEE’s press release.

NDEE has taken steps to make the grant application process for the programs easier. Beginning with the 2020 awards, the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive grant term changed from a fiscal year to a calendar year. This means both programs’ grant cycles begin and end at the same time and they more closely align with the grant application period of the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Also in 2020, NDEE updated its online application for the two grant programs. The online application provides more instruction on each screen where data is entered to improve the process. In addition, the agency updated its Grant Application Guidance document to address common issues grant recipients experienced.
Recycling and cleanup efforts are locally led, and NDEE is proud to provide funding that helps make their important projects take place.