Grant applications for the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) 2027 Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive, Litter Reduction and Recycling, and Scrap Tire programs are open. They can be submitted between June 24 and August 5, 2026 (4:00 p.m. CST).
The grant term will be January 1 through December 31, 2027. Funding decisions are expected to be announced in December 2026. Available funding is anticipated to be approximately $4 million for Waste grants and $3 million for Litter grants with a maximum award of $500,000 per entity.
Eligible grant projects include, but are not limited to:
Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants:
- Household hazardous waste, electronic waste, and pharmaceutical collection events
- School chemical cleanouts
- Market development for recycled materials
- Recycling systems and equipment – Equipment used in integrated solid waste programs and projects, such as balers, shredders, densifiers, and trucks/trailers to collect recyclables
- Food and yard waste composting – brush chippers, tub grinders, compost turners, and compost screens
- Deconstruction of abandoned buildings owned by the city/county (available to cities of the first class, cities of the second class, villages, and counties of5,000 or fewer in population)