STEWARD Act of 2025
The STEWARD Act of 2025 (S. 351) would create a two-part federal effort aimed at expanding and improving recycling infrastructure and the collection of data on recycling and composting nationwide. First, it would establish the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Program, a pilot grant program within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund projects that increase recycling access in underserved communities. Grants would support building or expanding infrastructure such as transfer stations and curbside collection, and could involve public-private partnerships, with strict limits (no funding for recycling education). The program prioritizes projects in areas with limited nearby recycling capacity and requires grant amounts between $500,000 and $15 million, with a federal cost share capped at 95%. The act also mandates reporting on program implementation and its impact on recycling rates. Second, the bill would empower the EPA to collect and disseminate more comprehensive data on recycling and composting through a new set of reporting and inventory requirements. This includes adding a new section to the Solid Waste Disposal Act to produce reports on composting and recycling infrastructure capabilities, an inventory of materials recovery facilities (MRFs), data on program access and barriers, end-market sales for recyclables and compost, and periodic oversight reports on federal agency recycling and procurement. The Administration would also produce a metric to gauge diversion from a circular economy and Commission/Government accountability would provide related findings. Overall, the bill aims to both finance infrastructure improvements and create a clearer, data-driven picture of recycling and composting across the United States. Sponsored in the Senate by Senator Capito (with Senators Whitehouse and Boozman as co-sponsors), the bill was introduced and subsequently reported without amendment.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Program (a pilot grant program) to fund projects that improve recycling accessibility in underserved communities using a hub-and-spoke model for infrastructure development.
- 2Eligible grant recipients include states, units of local government, Indian Tribes, and public-private partnerships or entities seeking PPPs; funds may be used to add transfer stations, expand curbside recycling, and support PPP-based cost reductions, but cannot be used for recycling education programs.
- 3Grant parameters: minimum $500,000 and maximum $15,000,000 per project; at least 70% of annual program funds set aside for projects in a single underserved community or multiple underserved communities; Federal share capped at 95%; total authorization of $30 million per fiscal year from 2025 through 2029 (with up to 5% of that for administrative costs and technical assistance).
- 4Priority criteria for selecting grant recipients include whether the project serves underserved communities and whether a community has limited nearby materials recovery facility capacity (less than one facility within 75 miles).
- 5Data and reporting provisions: EPA must, within 2 years of enactment, report on composting and recycling infrastructure capabilities, barriers, costs, and practices; create an inventory of MRFs every 3 years (initially within 3 years) and then every 4 years, detailing facilities and material processing capabilities; collect and publish data on recycling/composting programs, access, barriers, contamination rates, and program costs/benefits; update end-market data for recyclable materials and compost; include federal agency procurement data on recycled/compostable materials and end markets.
- 6New authorized data activities include creating a metric to gauge diversion from a circular economy, studying diversion trends from the previous decade, and reporting on end-market sales (domestic and international) for recyclables and compost.
- 7Administrative and oversight features: confidential information protections; avoidance of unfunded mandates; mandatory reporting to Congress; and GAO-style or equivalent oversight for federal agency recycling/composting activities.
- 8Funding for data activities: an additional authorization of $4 million per year (2025–2029) for data collection and related efforts, separate from the grant program funding.