We are not currently accepting applications for this grant program.
Marine debris is a global crisis for our waterways and oceans and an imminent concern for communities and industries. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more marine debris than fish in our ocean and 80 percent of marine debris comes from land-based sources.*
The Recycling Partnership, with support from a $1 million donation from The Coca-Cola Foundation, is opening up a new coastal and waterways community grant program to help address the challenge of waste in waterways and help improve the collection of recyclables for reuse. The program will provide new carts with lids for curbside recycling programs located on the coastal shorelines and along the Mississippi River and Great Lakes.
“We know from experience and research that providing lidded curbside recycling carts is part of the solution to curbing marine debris in developed countries,” says Keefe Harrison, CEO, The Recycling Partnership. “By providing households with a lidded container, we can help ensure that recyclables stay in the recycling stream and don’t end up in our oceans, rivers and lakes.”
The first grant round is open now through September 21st with work to follow shortly after in the selected communities. As part of the curbside cart grants, The Partnership will team up with the communities and local organizations for a litter/beach cleanup initiative and solidify best practices that will serve as a roadmap for local governments to implement in other coastal and waterway communities.
*Source: Stemming the Tide: Land-based strategies for a plastic-free report. September 2015 Designed by USDC Copyright © McKinsey & Company and Ocean Conservancy
Grant FAQs
What type of recycling carts are eligible?
Grant funding is for curbside recycling carts only
What size communities are eligible for this grant?
There is no minimum size community
How do communities get reimbursed?
This is a reimbursement grant. Communities will receive funding after proof carts have been delivered
Can we get grant funds to replace existing recycling carts
Funding is not for replacing existing recycling carts or for recycling cart inventory
Can we just get funding for litter clean-up?
Litter clean-up funding is only available if the community is also requesting funding for curbside recycling carts
Can we just get funding for pedestrian bins?
Pedestrian bin funding is only available if the community is also requesting funding for curbside recycling carts
Are there resources available in addition to grant dollars?
Funding is paired with our educational resources and educational grant funding along with technical assistance to support the cart transition
Which communities qualify as coastal?
Eligible communities are defined as those having jurisdictional boundaries directly on the Atlantic or Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, a coastal bay or intracoastal waterway; OR directly along major freshwater areas including the Great Lakes or major riverway.
What are the expectations for litter clean-up activities?
Grantees must conduct one or more initiatives to address litter in their communities. The litter clean-up event should be planned to take place at or near the time that carts are deployed in the community. Qualifying clean-up activities must be focused on shorelines and/or major waterways and must make use of a labor force consisting at least in part of volunteers. Clean-up activities can include but are not limited to beach, river or lake clean-up.