The U.S. EPA under the Trump administration made numerous decisions in 2025 that could impact the waste and recycling industries in the coming years.

The agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a range of deregulatory actions throughout the year, including plans to roll back part of its PFAS drinking water rule and a proposal to end a key greenhouse gas emissions rule. It also paused or canceled funding for some grants, while maintained funding for others, such as the Solid Waste Infrastructure For Recycling grants (SWIFR).

The agency also underwent an organizational reshuffling that resulted in job cuts, but it also confirmed a new assistant administrator for a key waste-related office for the first time since 2021. 

Here’s a look at some of the major EPA headlines for the year.