Every day, Illinoisans fill containers and dumpsters with trash to be hauled away for disposal in landfills… "out of sight and out of mind." DCEO's Division of Recycling and Waste Reduction offers programs that promote alternatives to landfill disposal, conservation of resources, and further development of markets to recycle more of what we currently throw away. Adding value to recycled materials is the principal reason that recycling has become a multi-billion dollar industry in Illinois and also creates new job opportunities. This site provides Illinois employers and citizens with resources and funding opportunities to implement waste reduction, recycling, recycling, and composting methods as alternatives to landfill disposal. The objectives and goals of these programs are to divert large volumes of waste from landfill or incinerator disposal to foster recycling endeavors in Illinois.

Illinois Recycling Grants Program

This program provides technical assistance and for capital equipment grants to governmental entities, private businesses, and not-for-profit organizations for projects involving paper, plastic, metal and glass.  Through an annual competitive request for applications (RFA) process, funds are awarded to support projects that will develop or expand recycling collection and processing efforts in Illinois.  A priority goal of the program is to reduce the amount of recyclable commodities being disposed of in Illinois landfills.

The Illinois Recycling Grant closed its most recent funding opportunity December 8, 2011. To learn more about the program or if you would like to be notified of the program's next funding opportunity please contact:
David Ross
Phone:  217/782-7887
Email:  David.Ross@illinois.gov

Food Scrap Composting Revitalization & Advancement (F-SCRAP) Program

This program is designed to support projects that will divert food scraps and other organic material, excluding yard waste, from Illinois landfills for composting, increasing the quantity of materials composted in Illinois.  The Department anticipates that these projects will provide new jobs and other economic and environmental benefits to the State of Illinois as well as advance Illinois’ composting infrastructure.  The Department encourages the submission of joint projects or applications that address regional or multi-jurisdictional composting approaches from any combination of two or more governmental, for-profit, or not-for-profit organizations.

The F-Scrap program closed its most recent funding opportunity January 13, 2012.

To learn more about the program, or if you would like to be notified on the program's next funding opportunity, please contact:

David E. Smith
Phone:  217/785-2006
Email:  David.E.Smith@illinois.gov

Recycling Expansion and Modernization (REM) Program

The Recycling Expansion and Modernization (REM) Program provides grants to divert materials from the municipal solid waste stream, thereby conserving our natural resources, and improve the performance and “bottom line” of Illinois businesses and organizations (reduced operating costs, increased sales, etc.) while demonstrating public economic benefits.

Click here for more information or please contact:

Mike Motor
Phone:  217-524-5859
Email:  Michael.motor@illinois.gov