Team Kentucky Receives $736,000 To Help Clean Up Communities and Recycle Metals

Kentucky is the first state to receive funding for round 2 of the 2026 SWIFR grant program

FRANKFORT, KY – (August 13, 2026) – Team Kentucky has received a $736,666 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support healthy communities and improve metals and battery recycling efforts.  

Funds come from the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which supports better waste management strategies. Kentucky is the first state to receive the 2026  SWIFR  funding, round two of the grant program.

“Team Kentucky is proud to be the first recipient of this funding for 2026,” said John Lyons secretary of the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, which houses the Division of Waste Management. “These funds will support a truly collaborative effort among stakeholders and industry to develop a viable plan for recycling moving forward.”

Part of the grant will go toward funding a study with Western Kentucky University to examine how metals are recycled across Kentucky and identify ways to improve. The study will look at what is currently being recycled, how well existing recycling programs and facilities are working, and where valuable metals are being lost.

The results will be used to create a practical plan for improving metals recycling, helping recover more valuable materials, reduce waste, and better support the state’s manufacturing industry.

Additional grant funds will be used to support the creation of voluntary battery stewardship programs across the commonwealth. The focus will be on educational outreach and guidance around the proper ways to dispose of used batteries and the locations available to do so. This initiative prepares Kentuckians for the upcoming  battery disposal ban, which takes effect on June 30, 2027.    

This is the second grant Kentucky has received through the SWIFR program and is a 13% increase from 2023, the previous grant award. In total, Kentucky has received $1,389,482. Previous grant funding has been used to update the Statewide Solid Waste Reduction and Management Plan. As part of this effort, more than 20 community engagement meetings were held throughout the commonwealth to gain input from industry professionals and the public about waste management and recycling needs. The plan is slated for publication by October 31, 2026.

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