The EPA announced a $4,000,000 grant to the City of Seattle for a Solid Waste Infrastructure project. Funding for the grant comes from the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program, authorized by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act and funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that invests $275 million for Solid Waste Infrastructure for recycling grants nationwide. In September, EPA announced more than $100 million in SWIFR funds were awarded to states, communities, and territories across the country to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems. Seattle is one of two communities in the Pacific Northwest to be awarded an SWIFR grant.
“One of our greatest responsibilities is to steward our environment and its natural resources by advancing meaningful climate actions through our investments, policies, and practices. Our sustainability efforts are reducing our carbon footprint, diverting waste from landfills, and prolonging the life cycle of our natural materials, creating a more resilient environment and healthier communities,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Through these federal dollars, we are investing into our circular wood economy, creating new green jobs for our workforce, and advancing our climate goals.”
“Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are expanding federal funding for local and tribal priorities that improve environmental health,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “These funds will help advance innovative recycling services, resulting in good-paying jobs, and repurposing useful resources that would otherwise end up in landfills.” This federal grant will support Seattle’s circular wood economy by developing a new salvaged wood warehouse to process, store, organize, and distribute salvaged wood, aligning with Seattle Public Utilities’ goal to achieve zero waste.