Deadline: 13-Jun-25
Are you a composter or community looking for funding to increase food-contact compostable packaging recovery? If yes, then this Grant Program in right for you!
The Composting Consortium has partnered with the US Composting Council (USCC) and the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) to award grants to composters and communities who are interested in establishing or scaling their programs to include certified, food-contact compostable packaging.
Funding Information
- The maximum amount per grant is $50,000.
Duration
- All projects must be completed by March 1, 2026.
Eligible Projects
- Composter Projects
- They are open to any projects that increase the recovery of food-contact, certified compostable packaging. Below are some examples of the types of projects they are looking to support, and how grant funding might be used.
- Education and Outreach: Collection bin signage and labels, educational flyers, or other marketing materials and communication efforts that promote the change to now include certified compostable packaging at local compost facilities.
- Trials & Testing: Field tests of compostable packaging at composting sites with the intention of changing acceptance policies to include certified compostable packaging.
- Operational Updates: Changes to business and facility operations that allow compost operators and haulers to now successfully recover and process compostable packaging (i.e., process changes and training).
- Equipment & Machinery: Offset the cost of equipment that facilitates the recovery of compostable products at a new or expanded facility, such as size reduction (grinding, shredding), or contaminant removal (screens, picking lines).
- They are open to any projects that increase the recovery of food-contact, certified compostable packaging. Below are some examples of the types of projects they are looking to support, and how grant funding might be used.
- Municipal Projects
- Municipal projects will fall into one of three tiers. Funding can be deployed in different ways depending on which tier your project falls into.
- Establishing new programs (e.g., starting a food waste collection pilot program that includes certified compostable packaging). Example projects include establishing a food waste drop-off program in your community that allows compostable packaging or rolling out a food waste collection pilot program in your community that allows compostable packaging.
- Expanding current programs (e.g., onboarding more households into an existing program that includes certified compostable packaging). Example projects include expanding the number of households or neighborhoods that participate in your food waste collection program, ensuring certified compostable products are allowed in the program, or diversifying the types of participants (e.g., multi-family complexes, single-family residences, commercial businesses, etc.) who are serviced by your collection program, ensuring certified compostable products are allowed in the program.
- Updating current programs (e.g., changing material acceptance policies to include certified compostable packaging). Example projects include updating bin labels or marketing materials to reduce contamination and promote the new inclusion of certified compostable packaging in your collections program or harmonizing material acceptance policies across multiple towns in one region to promote greater acceptance of compostable packaging in that region. Funding can be used to communicate these changes to your participants.
- Municipal projects will fall into one of three tiers. Funding can be deployed in different ways depending on which tier your project falls into.
Eligibility Criteria
- Composters, communities and nonprofits in the U.S. who are working on projects to increase food-contact compostable packaging recovery are eligible to apply for a grant.
- Companies and organizations who are willing to collaborate and share project details and results with the Composting Consortium and in public communications
- Composters who accept food scraps and yard waste, but do not currently accept certified, food-contact compostable packaging
- Composters who currently accept limited forms of compostable packaging (e.g., only paper/fiber or only food scrap bags) but wish to expand the materials they accept to other types of certified food-contact compostables.
- Communities (towns, cities, counties, etc.) who wish to establish or expand food scraps pilot programs (drop-off or curbside) that include food-contact, certified compostable packaging
- Non-profit organizations directly involved in establishing or expanding composting and food scraps collection that includes food-contact, certified compostable packaging.
For more information, visit Closed Loop Partners.