STEWARD Act of 2025

The STEWARD Act would create a federal grant program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency to improve recycling and composting infrastructure across the United States. The program would award competitive grants ranging from $500,000 to $15 million to states, local governments, Indian tribes, and public-private partnerships. At least 70 percent of the funding would be directed toward underserved communities that lack adequate recycling access. Grants could be used to expand curbside recycling collection, construct transfer stations for recyclable materials, and develop public-private partnerships to reduce collection costs.

The bill would also require the EPA to collect and report comprehensive data on recycling and composting infrastructure nationwide. This includes creating an inventory of materials recovery facilities in each state, developing standardized recycling rates, and estimating how much recyclable material is successfully diverted from landfills. The EPA would collect this data twice yearly from states, local communities, and Indian tribes to establish a national recycling rate and better understand recycling challenges.