Private

The Recycling Partnership Polypropylene Recycling Grant Program

The purpose of the Polypropylene Recycling Grant Program is to facilitate Material Recovery Facility (MRF) processing, sortation and marketing of polypropylene packaging to ensure the widest possible access to polypropylene recycling in community recycling collection programs in the United States. This program focuses on equipment and process investments that establish polypropylene as an automatically MRF-accepted material. Those investments must lead to inclusion of polypropylene as an accepted material in collection programs supplying the MRF, either as a separate grade or as part of a mixed grade of plastics (e.g., a #3 – 7 resin grade). The projects must result in the successful ongoing return of polypropylene to manufacturing use.

Eligible Recipients:

Publicly, privately and non-profit owned and operated MRFs in the United States are eligible for
funding under this grant program. Local recycling collection programs, post-MRF processors of polypropylene or mixed resin grades, or any other parties not directly involved in MRF processing are not eligible for funding.

Eligible Projects:

Grant funding is available for equipment or process investments that establish permanent and
sustainable MRF acceptance and recycling of polypropylene packaging.

Funding Source:
The Recycling Partnership

Funding Amount:
Funding is available through competitive responses to this Request for Proposals under the auspices of the Polypropylene Coalition. Ultimate decisions on proposal funding is subject to allocation of Coalition contributions to grant-making and to the goals and objectives of the Coalition.

Deadline:

Grant applications under this program will be accepted on an ongoing basis, and there is
no due date for proposals.

Contact:
Rich Simon
rsimon@recyclingpartnership.org

More Information:
https://recyclingpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Recycling-Partnerships-Polypropylene-MRF-Grant-RFP-Final.pdf

Waste Management (WM) Charitable Giving

Focused on making a difference, we strive to be good corporate citizens by making communities safer, stronger and more sustainable.

Eligible Recipients:

We work with involved citizens, organizations and corporate partners on local initiatives to promote civic pride, economic development and revitalization.

Eligible Projects:

Causes we support:

  • Environmental Stewardship – With a commitment to sustainability, we give priority consideration to organizations whose programs preserve and/or enhance renewable resources and empower environmental stewards.
  • Sustainability Education – We’re committed to equipping individuals with knowledge needed to enhance their communities through programs that support clean, resilient and sustainable place to live.
  • Community Vitality – When we ensure that our neighborhoods and communities are safe and sustainable, we provide the best living environment for customers, employees and stakeholders.
  • Environmental Justice – By engaging with people in the communities where we operate, we can understand their needs while addressing our operational impacts to help those communities thrive.
  • Workforce + Skills Development – We strive to give individuals and teams the tools and training they need to excel while empowering employees to take care of our customers, neighbors and their environment via programs that prioritize economic development in communities.
  • Supplier Diversity – We address inequity and economic development for underserved groups by working towards targets that prioritize collective impact, collaboration, education, and achieving ambitious sustainability initiatives.

Funding Source:
Waste Management (WM)

Funding Amount:
TBD

Deadline:
Applications are accepted year round and are reviewed on a continuous basis. Given the large amount of requests received, please anticipate an estimated two-month review period for each request.

More Information:
http://www.wm.com/about/community/charitable-giving.jsp

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Innovation Fund

The Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation Innovation Fund helps fill the gap in philanthropic funding needed to support entrepreneurs and creative thinkers with solutions to improve food security and prevent food waste.

Eligible Recipients:
Nonprofit and community organizations.

Eligible Projects:
We support nonprofits, innovators and community-based organizations that help:

  • Meet critical transportation needs for food banks and partner agencies.
  • Operate mobile pantry programs to improve food access in underserved communities.
  • Increase access to, and enrollment in, SNAP benefits.
  • Provide breakfast after the bell for students at school.
  • Serve homeless men and women who want to gain skills, stabilize their lives and find permanent housing.
  • Improve nutrition education and access to healthier foods.

Funding Source:
The Kroger Co. Foundation

Funding Amount:
Awards range from $25,000 to $250,000 per grantee.

Deadline:
The 2021 Call for Application is closed.

More Information:
https://thekrogercozerohungerzerowastefoundation.com/innovation_fund.html

Walmart Local Community Grants

Our local community grants are awarded through an open application process and provide funding directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities to local organizations in the U.S.

Eligible Recipients:

Organizations applying must meet one of following criteria:

  • An organization holding a current tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, listed on the IRS Master File and conducting activities within the United States, classified as a public charity under Section 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) (Types I or II); and CyberGrants FrontDoor verified.
  • A recognized government entity: state, county or city agency, including law enforcement or fire departments, that are requesting funds exclusively for public purposes and CyberGrants FrontDoor verified.
  • A K-12 public or nonprofit private school, charter school, community/junior college, state/private college or university; or a church or other faith-based organization with a proposed project that benefits the community at large, such as food pantries, soup kitchens and clothing closets and CyberGrants FrontDoor verified.
  • NOTE: Non-charities, including organizations recognized as 501(c)(4)s, (c)(6)s, and (c)(19)s
    like homeowner’s associations, civic leagues, or volunteer fire companies, are not eligible at this time.

Eligible Projects:

There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.

  • Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
  • Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
  • Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
  • Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
  • Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
  • Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
  • Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

Funding Source:
The Walmart Foundation, Inc.

Funding Amount:
Local Community grants range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000.

Deadline:
Grant applications for calendar year 2023 will be accepted on a quarterly basis. Deadlines for submissions are as follows:
Quarter 1: Feb 1 – April 15
Quarter 2: May 1 – July 15
Quarter 3: August 1 – October 15
Quarter 4: November 1 – December 31

Applications may be submitted at any time during each quarter funding cycle. All applications will be reviewed prior to the next funding cycle.

More Information:
https://walmart.org/how-we-give/local-community-grants

A&WMA Richard I. Stessel Waste Management Award

The Richard I. Stessel Waste Management Award, established by the Board of Directors on June 29, 1989 and named for Stessel in 2012, is for an individual or organization related to the field of waste management,

Eligible Recipients:

  • Individuals
  • Organizations

Only A&WMA members can be nominated for the Gruber, Scherr, and Honorary Member (as well as Fellows and Outstanding Young Professionals) awards, but anyone can be nominated for the Chambers, Griswold, Mellon, Ripperton, and Stessel awards. Nominations for these awards may be made by anyone, including sitting A&WMA Board members. However, sitting A&WMA Board members and award committee members cannot submit letters of support or be nominated for these awards.

Eligible Projects:

  1. Outstanding achievements in the science and art of waste management (the accomplishment on the part of the recipient is technological in nature and widely recognized by persons in the field)
  2. Outstanding achievement in the management, prevention and regulation of wastes (the recipient may be an employee in government, industry, education or research, whose accomplishments have led to minimizing the impact of waste in the environment)
  3. Distinguished achievement as an educator in the field of waste management.

Funding Source:
Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA)

Funding Amount:
TBA

Deadline:
December 1, 2022

Contact:
Lisa Moses, Air & Waste Management Association
Phone: +1-412-232-3444
Fax: +1-412-232-3450 (if faxing, please notify of this by email due to staff working remotely)
E-mail: Lmoses@awma.org

More Information:
https://www.awma.org/content.asp?admin=Y&contentid=212

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Great American Cleanup Program

Keep America Beautiful is celebrating the Great American Cleanup’s 25th year in 2023, between March 21 to June 22. As the country continues to deal with the pandemic, it is as important as ever to help end litter across our great nation. This means that we should all make sure that waste (including PPE) gets placed in the trash and we all recycle based on local capabilities.

Regarding litter collection, Great American Cleanup event organizers have been provided clear guidance to ensure that volunteer health is our first priority. All cleanups should adhere to guidelines from local, state, and federal public health officials so timely and accurate information can guide safe and appropriate activities in each location.

Eligible Recipients:

The Great American Cleanup prompts individuals to take greater responsibility for their local environment by conducting grassroots community service projects that engage volunteers, local businesses, and civic leaders. A successful Great American Cleanup project must fulfill the needs of the local community; that’s why we work with local community and business leaders, as well as other key stakeholders to gain knowledge about the community’s needs and carefully select and execute appropriate projects.

Eligible Projects:

During the Great American Cleanup, Keep America Beautiful affiliates, partner organizations, corporate partners and millions of volunteers:

  • Remove litter and debris from roadsides, highways, shorelines, and waterways for safer, cleaner communities
  • Plant trees, flowers, and gardens to strengthen our community’s green infrastructure
  • Clean and restore nature trails, recreation areas, and playgrounds to encourage play and physical activity
  • Recycle aluminum cans, plastic bottles, electronics, paper products, tires, clothing, and even junk cars to give garbage another life
  • Rebuild public spaces in communities struck by natural disasters to renew social connections and
  • Restore urban, suburban, and rural business districts and thoroughfares to spur economic impact

The Great American Cleanup, Keep America Beautiful’s signature community improvement national program, encourages everyone to participate in creating a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live.

Funding Source:
The Great American Cleanup National Sponsors

Funding Amount:
Free litter cleanup kits available while supplies last

More Information:
https://kab.org/programs/great-american-cleanup/event/

EREF Grants Program

The sustainability movement has reached the business models of nearly every industry in the United States, and many companies, municipalities and states have set aggressive sustainability goals that include how waste streams are being managed. The EREF Board of Directors has set an initiative to ensure the research we fund reflects EREF’s long-term strategic plan to address all areas of integrated solid waste management, with a strong focus towards research that increased sustainable solid waste management practices.

Eligible Recipients:

  • Non-U.S. Institutions: There are no restrictions in regards to geographic location. Any U.S. or non-U.S. institutions are eligible to apply.
  • Non-Academic Institutions: Proposals will be accepted from non-academic institutions provided the principal investigators are qualified to conduct the research.

Eligible Projects:

Pre-proposal topics must relate to sustainable solid waste management practices and pertain to the following topic areas:

  • Waste minimization
  • Recycling
  • Waste conversion to energy, biofuels, chemicals or other useful products. This includes, but is not limited to, the following technologies:
    • Waste-to-energy
    • Anaerobic digestion
    • Composting
    • Other thermal or biological conversion technologies
  • Strategies to promote diversion to higher and better uses (e.g. organics diversion, market analysis, optimized material management, logistics, etc.)
  • Landfilling

Desirable aspects of the above topics, in addition to or as part of hypothesis driven applied research, also include: economic or cost/benefit analyses, feasibility studies for untested technologies or management strategies, life cycle analysis or inventory, and analyses of policies that relate to the above.

Funding Source:
Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF)

Funding Amount:
Projects and research previously funded by the Foundation can be viewed on its website at erefdn.org. Previously awarded grants have ranged from $15,000 to over $500,000 with the average grant amount in recent years being $160,000. Typical project durations are about 2 years. It should be noted that proposed research in excess of $300,000 or longer than 3 years should contain sufficient details that justify the need for the higher than average amount requested and longer project duration.

Deadlines:

  • EREF has two deadlines per year for pre-proposals: December 1 and May 1
  • NOTE: Due to recent updates in the RFP the deadline for May 2023 has been updated to May 8.

Contact:
To allow sufficient time for response, all questions must be received 48 hours before pre-proposal submissions begin. Please submit questions to proposals@erefdn.org.

More Information:
https://erefdn.org/research-grants-projects/how-to-apply-for-grant/

Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund

The Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund accepts applications on a rolling basis and provides flexible financing for circular economy infrastructure, technologies and companies that advance the recovery and recycling of plastics in the U.S. and Canada.

Eligible Recipients:

TBA

Eligible Projects:

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Project must be based in the U.S. or Canada
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reduced/avoided
  • Mass of materials impacted (e.g., diverted from disposal, recovered for recycling, incorporated into new products, etc.)
  • Applicant’s ability to repay (for debt financing)
  • Replicability and scalability of the project or model
  • Amount of increase in access to or participation in recycling
  • Ability for the applicant and/or project to leverage additional sources of capital

Funding Source:
Closed Loop Partners

Funding Amount:
We provide catalytic financing to municipalities, private companies and non-profit organizations. As an impact-first investor, we offer a diverse range of financing alternatives. Our financial product offering includes:

  • Debt-based
    • Bridge loans
    • Secured loans
    • Unsecured loans
    • Revolving credit facilities
    • Asset based loans
    • Venture debt
  • Hybrid
    • Mezzanine debt
  • Equity, as a follow-on to a lead equity investor
  • Average investment period: 3 to 5 years (excluding bridge loans)
  • Minimum investment size: $1 million

Funding Deadline:
Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Contact:
Apply on website

More Information:
https://www.closedlooppartners.com/closed-loop-circular-plastics-fund-apply-for-funding/

Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund

The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund accepts applications for U.S.-based projects on a rolling basis and provides below-market rate loans to municipalities and companies to improve recycling infrastructure.

Eligible Recipients:

TBA

Eligible Projects:

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Project must be based in the U.S.
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reduced/avoided
  • Materials diversion from disposal
  • Applicant’s ability to repay
  • Replicability and scalability of the project or model
  • Amount of increase in access to or participation in recycling
  • Amount of increase in the recovery and/or reuse of post-consumer commodities (i.e., plastics, paper, glass, or metal)
  • Economic benefit(s) to the community(ies) served by the project or company
  • Ability for the applicant and/or project to leverage additional sources of capital

Funding Source:
Closed Loop Partners

Funding Amount:

  • We provide zero interest loans to municipalities and below market rate loans to private companies.
  • Typical loan size is $3-$5M over a 3-10 year term, with each loan secured by collateral.
  • We invest in best-in-class operators who are leaders in their industry in the United States.

Funding Deadline:
 Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Contact:
Apply on website

More Information:
https://www.closedlooppartners.com/funds/apply-for-funding/closed-loop-infrastructure-fund/

The Recycling Partnership Recycling Inclusion Fund

What does a world look like where all people feel like valued members within their communities? How can we as a global, national, and local industry do our part to apply shared experiences, knowledge, and resources to catalyze a sustainable life for everyone?

The Recycling Inclusion Fund directs grant dollars toward investment in recycling infrastructure and education equity, a training and leadership program geared towards communities of color, and research into the challenges that hinder a more equitable circular economy. 

Eligible Recipients:

TBA

Eligible Projects:

  • Research: To identify the state of recycling access and participation, barriers, and needs in BIPOC communities across the U.S.
    • Impact: Improved program efficiency to increase material capture; empowered residents so that they can actively participate in recycling.
  • Access and Education: To reach and empower BIPOC populations with recycling access and education resources that meet their needs.
    • Impact: Expanded range of household populations reached; increased household capture; achievement of equitable access for all.
  • Leadership Training Programs: To create leadership opportunities in the sustainability sector for recent BIPOC college graduates through the “Fellowship Through Partnership” Program, offering experience and training.
    • Impact: Establishment of a diverse talent pipeline with exposure to the full recycling value chain; incorporation of diverse perspectives to deliver strong solutions.

Funding Source:
3M, Arconic Foundation, Coca Cola Foundation, Cox Enterprises, Kroger’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation, Procter & Gamble, and TAZO 

Funding Amount:
 TBA

Funding Deadline:
TBA

Contact:
 E-mail Jessica at jlevine@recyclingpartnership.org

More Information:
https://recyclingpartnership.org/new-recycling-inclusion-fund/