DNR Providing $150,000 In Grants For Recycling Electronics In Underserved Areas

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications for E-Cycle Wisconsin Electronics Collection Grants. The grants provide project funding to establish an electronics collection site or to host an event between October 2026 and December 2027. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Central time on Aug. 31.

Wisconsin’s electronics recycling law, which took effect in 2010, bans many electronics from the trash. It also created E-Cycle Wisconsin, a manufacturer-funded program managed by the DNR that supports a statewide network of electronics collectors and recyclers. Households and schools have already recycled 440 million pounds of electronics through E-Cycle Wisconsin.

The DNR plans to award up to $150,000 in grants to businesses, local and tribal governmental bodies, and nonprofits for this round, with the following maximum award amounts:

• Maximum award per collection event: $5,000
• Maximum award per permanent collection site: $15,000

Financial support for additional collection sites and events will make it easier for residents in those areas to recycle unwanted electronics. The DNR will give priority to projects in counties that do not have a permanent collection site registered under E-Cycle Wisconsin that is open to all residents. This includes projects in Calumet, Crawford, Florence, Forest, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Marquette, Price and Taylor counties.

Since 2022, the DNR has awarded more than $590,000 to projects in 30 counties located mostly in rural areas. These projects supported development of nine permanent collection sites and 107 one-day collection events between August 2022 and December 2026.

"After four really successful rounds of grant awards, we’re excited to help even more rural communities offer electronics collection to their residents," said Sarah Murray, Wisconsin DNR recycling and solid waste section manager. "The grant program has helped to provide unprecedented access to electronics recycling throughout Wisconsin. Our goal is to make it even more convenient and affordable to recycle electronics statewide."

The total amount awarded for grants each year is based on available funds from fees electronics manufacturers pay as part of the E-Cycle Wisconsin program.

For more details and a link to the application form, visit the DNR's E-Cycle Wisconsin Information for Collectors webpage.

The DNR offers an up-to-date, interactive list of E-Cycle Wisconsin collection sites and mail-back programs. The list allows residents to map nearby collection sites, look up locations by county and find free trade-in and mail-back programs.