SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Rapid City has secured a $4.98 million Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a major boost aimed at strengthening the city’s recycling and waste diversion programs. The $4,977,265 grant will be used to expand commercial recycling services, upgrade equipment at the Material Recovery Facility, and enhance remote recycling drop-off locations.
City Finance Director Daniel Ainslie said the funding effort was a collaborative initiative between the Public Works Department and the city’s Grants Division. The improvements are expected to significantly increase efficiency, double recycling rates, and improve the quality of materials collected across the system.
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Rapid City serves as a regional recycling hub, providing services to parts of Wyoming and western Nebraska. With the new funding, the city plans to extend recycling pickup to commercial customers such as larger apartment complexes and select businesses, beyond the current residential limit of four units or fewer.
The grant arrives as the City Council approved residential waste rate increases starting January 2026, driven by rising recycling costs and landfill construction expenses. Officials say the SWIFR grant provides critical capital to modernize operations, improve cost efficiency, increase landfill diversion, and support long-term sustainability and economic growth initiatives.