During the 2021 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed
House Bill 164 or the Department of the Environment - Office of Recycling - Recycling Market law.
The law Requires the Office of Recycling in the Department of the Environment to promote the development of markets for recycled materials and recycled products in the State. It also requires the Office to evaluate the availability of recycling markets and identify businesses in the State that use recycled materials.
Announcements
Greenbelt Wins 2023 Sustainable Maryland AwardThe Town of Greenbelt has created a Repair Cafe that teaches residents how to repair things like common household appliances, jewelry, furniture, and clothing. The town has also created a tool lending library that allows residents to access tools without purchasing them. Congratulations on contributing to a circular economy!
This webinar will review the Maryland Department of the Environment's annual Business Recycling Report filing requirements. With the passage of Maryland's Organics Recycling Law, many Maryland businesses will be required to file an annual report with their local counties on the tonnage of solid waste and recycling generated for the year. While Montgomery and Howard counties require all businesses to file a report, the requirement for businesses that have to divert food residuals from disposal in a landfill or incinerator to report is a state requirement. This webinar will review the form, provide guidance on accessing the form, and review state requirements for filing. Maryland encourages all businesses to complete the form, required or not, to help counties and the state track the amount of recycling being done in the state.
HB 164 Fact Sheet
Timeline for Implementation of 2021 House Bill 164 Provisions Revised!
Maryland Building and Land Availability
This
interactive map provides a listing of buildings and land sites available for lease around the state. A good resource for finding space for your new business.
SOLID WASTE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RECYCLING GRANTS
The EPA has selected 25 communities to receive grants totaling more than $73 million under the newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law. In addition, the agency is making available approximately $32 million for states and territories to improve solid waste management planning, data collection and implementation of plans. The grants support the implementation of EPA's National Recycling Strategy to build an economy devoted to keeping materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible – what's known as a “circular economy."
- Maryland's approved workplan summary can be found here
- Baltimore's approved summary can be found here
Maryland's approve workplan will perform a statewide organics assessment and a circular economy and reuse market assessment. An outline of the key components MDE is analyzing along with required outcomes can be found
here. If you would like to participate in any of the stakeholder engagement meetings or have data to submit in support of the workplan, please send an email to lma.wdd [at] maryland.gov. In your email, provide your name, affiliation and the specific interest in this project.
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS & AGENDAS
In 2022, MDE completed a variety of stakeholder meeting which addressed the provisions of the law and focused on promoting the development of markets for recycled materials and recycled products within the state.
A survey conducted to county recycling coordinators asked them to consider: materials have successful markets, what materials are difficult to find markets for, what types of support is desired from the state.
Materials that have successful markets included items such as:
- Metal, Mixed Metal
- Mixed paper and OCC
- Aluminum Cans
- Plastics (PET, HDPE): Colored & Natural
Materials difficult to find markets for included items such as:
- Compressed gas cylinders - consider switching out a single-use gas cylinder to a exchangeable/refillable. Note: typical one-pound tanks such as the green Coleman or Burnzomatic are federally regulated to not be refilled (DOT-39 cylinder).
- Glass
- Mattresses -
The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority has contracted with TurboHaul to handle mattress recycling for its member jurisdictions
- Food Residuals (pre- and post-consumer organics) - Residence may have a county collection system. A list of organics recyclers and haulers known within Maryland can be found here.
- Plastics not including PET & HDPE - plastic bags
cannot be collected through curbside. A list of film and bag recycling partners for Trex can be found here.
- Agricultural containers which previously held products utilized in agricultural crop protection (pesticides), animal health, etc. ACRC locations
- Asphalt Shingles
- Boat Shrink Wrap - Marinas and boatyards can recycle shrinkwrap through the Marine Trades Association of Maryland. More information is available here. New in 2024, boaters in Queen Anne's and Anne Arundel counties that do not use marinas can also recycle their wrap. Learn more here.
- Tires
-
Single Use, Lithium-Ion Batteries -
depending on the jurisdiction there may be allowable drop offs, national resources at
Call2Recycle
- Textiles - textiles are not collected or accepted for curbside recycling; however, they can be reused or recycled in a variety of ways. Consider the following options:
- Donation drop off/collection through organizations and companies - search "textile donation bin near me" to see what's around you
- Donate good condition bras
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Return to manufacturer
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Patagonia
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Outerknown
-
Eileen Fisher
-
REI's Good and Used
-
H&M
-
Lululemon
-
American Eagle Outfitters
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Thrift stores - search "thrift stores near me" to see what's around you
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Consignment - search "consignment shop near me" to see what's around you
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Online platforms
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MDrecycles.org is a directory of many recycling and donation organizations and businesses and is maintained by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority.
Type of support desired from the state included:
- Education and Outreach
- Funding for equipment, land and personnel
- Buyers for difficult markets
- Transportation
Stakeholder Workshops
Grants
2024-2025 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I SolicitationThe solicitation will support eligible small businesses in the development and commercialization of innovative environmental technologies. EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR Program. With this solicitation, EPA is calling for small businesses to apply for Phase I awards of up to $100,000 to demonstrate proof of concept in one of this year’s SBIR solicitation topics (listed below). Successful Phase I awardees are eligible to receive Phase II funding, up to $400,000 for two years, through an additional application process.
 SUSTAINABLE MARYLANDSUSTAINABILITY ACTION GRANTS
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Sustainable Maryland is pleased to introduce a brand new grant funding opportunity for SM-registered and certified municipalities!
Sustainable Maryland is pleased to announce the launch of the Sustainable Maryland Action Grants Program, established to further our mission of enhancing livability and sustainability across Maryland’s municipalities. This program supports a wide range of community-scale sustainability initiatives, offering a vital funding resource for Sustainable Maryland registered and certified municipalities.
The Sustainable Maryland Action Grants Program was made possible through the creation of the Sustainable Maryland Program Fund in 2022, which allocates a portion of the state’s annual budget to support local sustainability efforts. With $100,000 in grant funding available, this program aims to bridge the gap between local resource constraints and the need for local action, ensuring communities throughout Maryland can thrive.
Eligibility: Applicants must be an incorporated municipality that is registered or certified with the Sustainable Maryland program. Check here to check your municipality's SM status. Contact opierce@umd.edu to register your town with SM or follow the steps listed here.
Registered Communities
• Awards up to $5,000
• Total of $20,000
• Up to 4 awards expected.
Certified Communities
• Awards up to $20,000
• Total of $80,000
• Up to 4 awards expected.
For more information, please head to our website. You can also download our information packet
Apply for the grants here.
Applications must be submitted using the online application portal by 11:59 PM on Friday, November 8th, 2024. Questions? Email SMGrants@umd.edu
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Solutions for Recycling Markets
Contamination in the recycling stream has prompted major recycling trade restrictions, turning markets upside down and leading to growing piles of recyclables with nowhere to go but the landfill. To solve this problem, Maryland must find new end markets and reduce contamination in its recycling stream.
Research and Innovation
MDE is tasked with evaluating the local, national, and international markets for recycled materials and recycled products. We are working with the Northeast Maryland Waste Authority to update the
MDRecycles.org website with the latest known information for recyclers in our region. If your business would like to be added, please let us know.
Want to learn more about recycling markets, programs and materials? Check out these links:
Opportunities for Businesses in the State to Increase their use of Recycled Materials
Procurement
Did you know that the Maryland Department of General Services,
Green Purchasing Program has a list of
environmentally preferable specifications? This list identifies products or services and specific materials that meet Maryland Green Purchasing Committee Approved Specifications. Why does this matter? When developing contracts and standards, procurement can identify products that improve our environment – they may be compostable, sustainable, and/or made with recycled content.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a
Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) Program. This is part of the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management initiative that promotes a system approach to reducing materials use, associated greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, and other environmental impacts over the materials' entire life cycle.
The Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services offers programs for partnerships and the production goods and/or services using inmate labor. Learn more about
Maryland Correctional Enterprises and the
Prison Industry Enhancement Program.
Marketing and Sustainability
Boost your eco-credentials by becoming a part of the
Maryland Green Registry. This voluntary program assists your business with free of charge information, technical assistance, and webinars to grow your greening efforts.
County Reuse Resources
Western
Central
Southern
Eastern
Maryland Organizations Utilizing Reused, Repaired, and/or Remanufactured Material in their Operations
(For information purposes only. MDE does not endorse individual organizations. If you are an organization that reuses, repurposes and/or repairs used goods, contact MDE to be added to this list.)
Business Assistance
Maryland Building and Land Availability
This
interactive map provides a listing of buildings and land sites available for lease around the state. A good resource for finding space for your new business.
Recycling Permitting Assistance
Information on permits issued by the Land and Materials, Air and Radiation, and Water and Science Administrations is available on the Environmental Permits and Approvals web page. Depending on the activities conducted, a permit from one or more of these administrations may be required for a facility that conducts recycling. If you need assistance in determining which permits apply to a particular recycling-related facility, emailing David Mrgich or Ed Dexter. They may also be reached by phone at 410-537-3314 and 410-537-3315, respectively.
Composting facility permit information is available on the Organics Diversion and Composting web page or by emailing Tariq Masood or phone at 410‑537‑3314.
Natural wood waste recycling facility permit information is available on the Solid Waste Management in Maryland web page or by emailing Kaveh Hosseinzadeh or phone at 410-537-3315.
Business Startup Assistance
If you need assistance in starting a recycling business, please review the resources available on the Maryland Department of Commerce's Business Resources web page.
Maryland Business Express has information for small business owners to start, manage and grow their businesses.
A list on incentives relevant to organic materials management is available on Pages 24-25 and Appendix G (pages 269-292) in the Yard Waste, Food Residuals, and Other Organic Materials Diversion and Infrastructure Study Group Final Report.
Resources
HB 164 Fact Sheet
Timeline for Implementation of 2021 House Bill 164 Provisions
Revised!
Contact Information
For additional information or questions email
Shannon McDonald or
Tim Kerr or phone at 410-537-3314
