Grant Opportunities
The N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) administers the following grant programs, made possible through the Solid Waste Outreach Program and other funding sources, to support waste reduction activities. Grant-funded projects build lasting capacity to divert materials from the waste stream and advance NC’s circular economy. Current and recurring grant programs are listed below. Please check this webpage periodically for new and updated grant information.
Grant Programs
Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant: OPEN
- Eligible Applicants: local governments
- Accepting proposals through February 13, 2026
- Purpose: Build lasting capacity to divert materials from the waste stream and / or increase public awareness of recycling.
Recycling Business Development Grant: OPEN
- Eligible applicants: recycling businesses (for profit or non-profit)
- Accepting proposals through November 20, 2025
- Purpose: Invest in equipment, buildings and infrastructure to increase the capacity of a recycling business to divert more materials from disposal and into economic use.
Helene Recovery Recycling Infrastructure Grant: OPEN
- Eligible applicants: local governments in western NC impacted by Hurricane Helene
- Accepting proposals through January 30, 2026
- Purpose: Expand, rebuild, or improve waste reduction, composting, and recycling programs to improve the resiliency of the region's waste reduction infrastructure.
Multifamily Recycling Grant: OPEN
- Eligible applicants: local governments, recycling businesses or non-profits, multifamily property owners or management companies, public housing authorities, and colleges and universities for off-campus housing
- Accepting proposals on a rolling basis
- Purpose: Build lasting capacity to recycle traditional household materials (paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass and plastic bottles and containers) from multifamily residences.
Food Waste Reduction Grant
- Eligible applicants: compost facilities, compost haulers, local governments, anaerobic digestion facilities, and food recovery organizations
- 2026 grant round is closed. Next opportunity summer 2026
- Purpose: Develop food waste reduction infrastructure by expanding food donation networks or organics recycling operations, including collection and hauling.
Abandoned Manufactured Homes
This grant program offered funding to assist counties in cleaning up abandoned manufactured homes. Funding for this program ended in 2023.
Additional Information
Successful grant applicants may be required to provide some or all of the following forms, which will be included as part of the grant contract:
- No Overdue Taxes Certification - requires notary signature
- Conflict of Interest Policy Template - place the text from this template on your organization's letterhead and modify as needed. Or submit a copy of your organization's internal Conflict of Interest Policy if it meets or exceeds the template language.
- Non-Debarment Form
- Substitute W-9 Form
Over the past 5 years (FY2021 - FY2025), DEACS has awarded:
- 90 grants to recycling businesses totaling $3.3M in funding; and
- 119 grants to local governments totaling $2.7M in funding.
Grant projects will result in:
- 364 new jobs created;
- 208,083 additional tons diverted from landfill disposal each year;
- 1.25 million meals rescued and redistributed; and
- $17.5 million investment in recycling infrastructure statewide ($6 million in grant funding plus $11.5 million in matching funds).
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides financial assistance for the collection/recycling of used agricultural pesticide jugs and unused pesticides.
- The Helene Recovery Recycling Infrastructure Grant opportunity is part of a larger $61 million NCDEQ grant from EPA that also includes funding to assist with debris cleanup, pesticide removal, and brownfields development. Visit the NCDEQ Hazardous Waste Management State Program Support Grant webpage for more information.