Recycling startups including CleanRobotics, KLAW Industries, and Zabble received grants totaling USD 1.2 million at a funding round led by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a part of a larger USD 3.2 million round of funding in Phase 2 of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants.

CleanRobotics, Inc., a Colorado-based startup received USD 370,000 to continue developing TrashBot, its AI-powered robotics system for sorting and auditing recycling, landfill, and compost from facilities with transient populations.

KLAW Industries LLC, a New York-based startup, received USD 400,000 to further develop its process for recycling post-consumer glass into a cement alternative which the company claims is 25% cost-effective, 97% less carbon-intensive, and 33% stronger than traditional cement.

Zabble, a California-based zero-waste software company, received USD 400,000 to develop its zero-waste management platform that uses artificial intelligence, which targets the healthcare industry, universities, and corporate campuses.