Community Corner
$1.1 Million in StopWaste Grants for Projects that Prevent Waste
Funding for reuse, repair, food waste prevention & recovery, reusable foodware and more. Businesses, nonprofits, others can apply by March 3
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Local public agency StopWaste is offering $1.1 million in grant money to businesses, nonprofits and others for projects that prevent waste in Alameda County. Individual grants are typically up to $10,000 or $20,000, some more, depending on the category. Learn more and apply online by March 3.
The idea behind the StopWaste grant program is not just to recycle or compost materials, but to eliminate them in the first place through reuse, repair, re-design, recovery (donation) and redistribution of surplus edible food, replacing single-use packaging with reusable alternatives, and more. In addition, grant funding is designed to support efforts that benefit and strengthen the community, create jobs, and boost racial and social equity.
Reuse & Repair
An example of a grant-funded project that prevented waste while addressing community needs is the partnership between Oakland nonprofits CiviCorps and Tech Exchange. Civicorps’ training and support services create long-term career opportunities for young people, while Tech Exchange works to ensure that all families have a computer, internet access and the digital skills necessary to enhance their lives. In 2020, each groups received a $20,000 Reuse & Repair Grant to teach several CiviCorps members all aspects of refurbishing donated computers—from testing and upgrading the devices to warehouse management and communication with customers and team members. Tech Exchange then donated the upcycled computers to Oakland students without home technology access.
Food Waste Prevention & Recovery
Several of the grant categories are designed to support projects that prevent food waste, a cause high on StopWaste’s priority list. It is estimated that in Alameda County alone, nearly 50,000 tons of edible food is discarded by businesses and institutions each year. Meanwhile, one in four county residents experiences hunger or is at risk. Grant funded projects can help make a difference and model solutions. Nonprofit Daily Bowl in Union City used a Food Waste Prevention & Recovery Grant to build and maintain relationships with grocery stores, fresh food distributors and farmers markets and to collect their surplus perishables, including produce, dairy and prepared foods, in a refrigerated van. Daily Bowl then redistributes the donations to agencies and nonprofits, which share the rescued food with families throughout southern Alameda County.
Nonprofits involved in the recovery of edible food that would otherwise go to waste, such as food pantries, food banks, community or faith-based organizations, and food recovery services, can also get grant funding up to $10,000 per grant for surplus food donation equipment. This may include refrigerators, freezers, coolers, thermal blankets, hot/cold packs, shelving for food storage, and more.
Reusable Foodware
For a second year, the 2023 grant cycle includes Reusable Foodware Grants for innovative projects that replace single-use, disposable foodware with reusable systems. Funded pilot projects will help StopWaste explore the feasibility of reusable foodware systems in various settings with the long-term goal of scaling up in Alameda County. Last year, a $40,000 grant went to DishJoy, a reusable foodware washing and distribution service, and the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland for a pilot project replacing disposable lunch trays and utensils with reusable alternatives made from stainless steel at several schools in the Alameda Unified School District, including Bay Farm School. Besides waste prevention the project is a win for students’ health because disposable lunch trays are typically made from expanded polystyrene or molded paper fiber that leach toxic substances into food.
Community Food Systems
Going beyond surplus food recovery, Community Food Systems Grants are aimed at locally focused projects that prevent food waste while improving food access, equity, economic opportunity and community health. An example of this work is Goodness Village in Livermore, a tiny home community for people transitioning out of chronic homelessness. The nonprofit partners with local food recovery organizations to provide their residents access to nutritious surplus food. Funding from StopWaste helped them fund equipment to store and process the food to feed the Village, as well as a program to teach residents to make jams, preserves and other upcycled food products. These will be sold to the larger local community, with proceeds coming back to support Goodness Village.
Reusable Transport Packaging
To prevent waste from packaging such as carboard boxes, pallets, pallet wrap and other materials used to transport goods or to move them around a facility, reusable transport packaging grants fund durable, reusable alternatives. Former grantee Surplus Service is a Fremont-based e-waste recycler with a focus on reuse and repair. They used to collect medical and electronic equipment from customers in large cardboard boxes on pallets and recycle the boxes after a single use. A StopWaste Reusable Transport Packaging Grant helped them purchase sturdy wheeled bins and stackable reusable plastic bulk containers to replace the cardboard boxes. This switch prevents cardboard waste and saves Surplus Service over $15,000 on avoided packaging costs each year.
StopWaste’s grant website offers more details including lists of previously funded projects and application support. Online applications are due by March 3.
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