Federal grants target recycled-content building materials

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected 38 grant recipients who will receive funding totaling nearly $160 million to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products.

Some of the grants are tied to recycling and reuse while others pertain to alternative energy sources and other methods to lower the carbon footprint of construction projects and materials. The EPA estimates the construction materials used in buildings and other built infrastructure account for more than 15 percent of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

“Ranging from $250,000 to $10 million, the grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality environmental product declarations (EPDs), which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare across product categories,” the EPA says.

The agency says the U.S. already leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, but notes the carbon footprint of the billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials used to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure can be further reduced.

Among the more than three dozen grant recipients are trade associations, university research departments and companies of varying sizes.

Trade groups awarded grants include the Building Materials Re-Use Association, National Asphalt Pavement Association, National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, Portland Cement Association and Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation.

Companies with existing recycling operations receiving grants include aggregates recyclers Heidelberg Materials North America and Holcim U.S. Inc., building and highway products maker Oldcastle Infrastructure Inc. and wood salvage and reuse firm Pioneer Millworks.

“These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy,” EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe says.

The grants were announced by McCabe at a mid-July news briefing in Chantilly, Virginia, at Superior Paving, an asphalt paving and recycling company. McCabe was joined in the announcement by Richard Willis, vice president of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, plus other federal and industry representatives.