MN HF2661

Commissioner of employment and economic development must establish a competitive grant program for nonprofits and units of government to pursue zero-waste projects in four categories: electronic waste reuse and recycling, source reduction, market development, and organics recycling infrastructure.

Electronic waste projects must be carried out by organizations certified in sustainable standards and may fund infrastructure, technology, research, and refurbishment but cannot include buy-back programs that incentivize purchasing new electronics.

Source reduction projects must demonstrate living wage employment for manufacturers and cannot result in higher toxicity, more complicated recyclability, or increased byproduct volume; market development projects must target easily recycled materials disproportionately landfilled or incinerated.

Grant applications must demonstrate specific source reduction or waste prevention targets and show projects will occur in communities in the 80th percentile or higher for pollution exposure using the EPA's EJSCREEN tool, with priority given to projects creating living-wage jobs and employing adaptive management practices.

$1,500,000 is appropriated for fiscal year 2022 and $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2023, with the commissioner required to report to the legislature by January 15, 2024 detailing grant fund use.