Questions and Answers: Household Hazardous Waste Grant Program, HD41 Small Projects Cycle (FY 2023–24)

Questions about the Household Hazardous Waste, HD41 Small Projects Cycle grant application were accepted in writing only, no later than August 1, 2023. Similar or related questions were grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.

The question and answer period is now closed. All questions and answers are posted on this site.

General | Eligibility | Funding | Application

General

  • 1. What date should applicants anticipate receiving a Notice to Proceed letter upon award of a Cycle 41 grant?
    CalRecycle staff anticipates awarding grants in December 2023. Notice to Proceed emails will be sent after the Grant Agreement is executed. Please note that these dates are tentative.
  •  
  • 2. Does CalRecycle require the applicant to have an EPPP Policy?
    Consistent with CalRecycle’s core values, CalRecycle requires all applicants to have or develop, adopt, and implement an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Practices (EPPP) Policy for their organizations.
    Applicants must have an EPPP Policy in place prior to submitting their application and certify this fact on the Detail tab in the application. If applicants do not have an EPPP Policy in place prior to submitting their application, they must certify to the fact that a Policy will be adopted by the secondary due date on the Detail tab in the application.
  •  
  • Please note that CalRecycle will not pre-approve or review your EPPP Policy documents.
  •  
  • For more information, please refer to the “Environmentally Preferable Purchases and Practices Policy Requirement” section of the Application Guidelines and Instructions

Eligibility

  • 1. We need a box truck to help with our mobile collection program. Would that be considered as equipment for the proposed project budget? Also, we would like to apply our current logo/phone number to the side of the truck and our other mobile collection vehicles; would that activity be eligible under equipment for the project budget?
    Yes, purchasing a box truck to pick up household hazardous waste items within your mobile collection program is an eligible expense under “Set-up and operation of temporary or mobile collection program for one-day or multi-day collection events.” It falls under the “Equipment” budget category.
  •  

  • Yes, applying your collection program information to the side of your truck and other mobile collection vehicles would be eligible for funding under the “Equipment” budget category.

    Please refer to the “Eligible Projects/Products” section in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.

  •  
  • 2. We need clarification on item 4 under the “Eligible Projects/Products section. What hazardous waste would we be able to collect? It states, “…except for those materials that are currently covered by another recycling/collection program,” does the County have to be a direct participant in the recycling program through another grant? For example, we do not administer PaintCare, but paint may be taken to several facilities throughout the County that participate in the program. Would paint not qualify? Our County participates in the Oil Payment Program, so would we not be able to accept used motor oil at the one-day HHW event?
    HD grants do not fund certain HHWs, if those particular waste streams are serviced through other collection/recycle programs that the applicant is currently either separately funding or participating in.
  •  

  • Paint waste would be eligible if you do not participate in PaintCare, and you are not required to participate in PaintCare.

    You can collect used oil at your temporary or mobile collection events, but you should charge the related costs to the Used Oil Payment Program (OPP) not HD grants. However, it would be ok for a jurisdiction to use HD grant funds for used oil expenses if they do not participate in OPP.

  •  
  • 3. Are there limitations on what type of solar panels are eligible?
    Solar panels collected from households (not contractors) at the one-day or multi-day collection events are eligible; however, applicants should be aware of the Department of Transportation rules (e.g., quantity, transportation limit/issues, etc.) and costs. Grantees are required to collect and report data on type/style of panels, manufacturer, volume, and the method of disposal for this project.
  •  
  • 4. We would like to submit a regional application for the purchase of a new forklift to be used at our permanent facility. Is this an eligible project under this grant?
    Yes, a forklift would be an eligible expense.
  •  
  • 5. We want to hold mobile collection events here in the city for HHW. The city does not have an HHW facility, but we do have an agreement with a neighboring city that allows our residents to take HHW to their Special Waste Collection Center. We are paying for our residents to utilize this service. The grant states, “except for those materials that are currently covered by another recycling/collection program;” are we still eligible to apply for an HD41 grant?
    Yes, the city would be eligible to apply for a grant to hold mobile collection events.
  •  
  • 6. Can we utilize the grant for waste coming from both our mobile collections and at our permanent facility?
    You may utilize grant funds for the operation of mobile collections events. Funds may be used for the promotion, handling, permitting and disposal costs of the following items: HHW, marine flares, propane gas cylinders (up to five pounds), solar panels and treated wood waste. Ongoing costs associated with maintaining an HHW program/facility are not eligible costs.
  •  
  • 7. Our city provides door-to-door HHW collection for residents, as well as providing battery drop-off boxes at City Hall. All costs are paid by the city. Would these activities be eligible for grant funding?
    The battery drop-off boxes for the public are eligible for grant funding. Only new and expanded door-to-door collection program is eligible.
  •  
  • 8. Can we contract with a vendor to provide a battery recycling program for City staff?
    No, any eligible funded activity must be provided to and accessible by the public at large, not just for a jurisdiction’s staff.
  •  
  • 9. Can we utilize funds to cover overtime for staff working HHW events?
    Yes, when necessary, funds can be used to cover overtime for staff working for HHW events.
  •  
  • 10. Can we utilize funds to purchase sharps containers and battery buckets to provide to residents during HHW events?
    Funds cannot be used to purchase sharp containers. Funds can be used to purchase battery buckets.
  •  
  • 11. We operate a Permanent Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility here in the city and already have a Reuse Program in place where residents come by and take items that are in excellent condition. We have a gym that shares a wall with the facility. We would like to expand our reuse program and make it more publicly accessible by dividing the gym room with a wall and use that new space for the Reuse Program. Would such an activity be eligible for grant funds?
    Yes.
  •  
  • 12. Would it be an eligible project to identify the amount of HHW that is illegally dumped in a county or city? The purpose would be to identify what is working in HHW programs versus what is not and to track HHW being properly disposed versus what is illegally dumped.
    No.

Funding

No questions at this time.

Application

  • 1. Can you clarify the difference between an individual applicant and a regional applicant?
  • An Individual Application is one in which a single eligible entity will be responsible for grant implementation. The applicant in an Individual Application will be responsible for the performance of the grant and all related documentation. In addition, the applicant will be the only entity receiving any real or personal property that is purchased with grant funds.
  •  
  • Regional Applicants (Local Governments only) may join together in a Regional Application in which two or more eligible jurisdictions join together for the purpose of grant implementation. A Regional Lead Participant must be designated to act on behalf of all Non-Lead Participants. The Lead Participant is the applicant, and if awarded, will be the grantee responsible for the performance of the grant and all required documentation. CalRecycle will direct all official correspondence and grant payments to the Lead Participant. If a jurisdiction is a Non-Lead Participant in a Regional Application, it may not apply individually.
  •  
  • Joint Powers Authorities (JPA) may submit a grant application as an individual applicant. An entity may not submit an individual application if that entity is also a member of an applicant JPA. Because they represent multiple public entities, JPAs are afforded the same maximum grant award as a regional applicant.
  •  
  • If a jurisdiction is a participant in a regional/JPAs application, it cannot submit an individual jurisdiction application.
  •  
  • 2. What is the scoring criteria?
  • There is no scoring criteria for HD41. Staff will review all applications to confirm project eligibility and evaluate the application to determine if the application meets all requirements. A random selection process will be conducted if the cycle is oversubscribed. Refer to the “Grant Application Review Process” in the Application Guidelines and Instructions.
  •  
  • 3. If a jurisdiction does not have an HHW facility, then what location do they put on the application for their mobile collection events?
  • List the anticipated site(s) where the HHW events will be held.
  •  
  • 4. For an application by a Joint Powers Authority, should the member jurisdictions be added to the application as Participants?
  • Yes. Joint Power Authorities must add all JPA members as Non-Leads to the Participants tab of the application. Please refer to page 11 and 17 of the Application Guidelines and Instructions.
  •  
  • 5. The Application Guidelines and Instructions indicate that JPAs are allowed to apply for up to $100k in grant funding. Can JPAs include special districts?
  • Yes.
  •  
  • 6. We want to confirm our jurisdiction (incorporated town) is eligible to apply on its own, even if our county applies separately as well. We would also qualify under a rural jurisdiction. Would our funding be $50k?
  • Your jurisdiction is eligible to apply for an individual grant if you do not participate in the regional application with the county. You are qualified for up to $50,000 individual grant funding. A rural area county can apply for the $100,000 grant amount.

Resources

For more information contact: Used Oil & Household Hazardous Waste, UsedOilHHW@calrecycle.ca.gov