SPU and WM Award Five Organizations 2025 ReThink Waste Grants

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and WM are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ReThink Waste Grants, supporting community-based projects that are designed to prevent waste, promote recycling, composting and advance a circular economy in Seattle. Now in its seventh year, the joint grant program will invest a total of $10,000 in five local organizations leading innovative waste prevention and sustainability efforts.

“Seattle’s residents and organizations continue to demonstrate that local action can drive big change,” said Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO of Seattle Public Utilities. “Through the ReThink Waste Grants, SPU and WM are helping community innovators put sustainability into practice by reimagining waste as a resource and strengthening our commitment to zero waste.”

Jason Rose, WM area vice president, sees the grants as opportunities for local organizations in WM service areas to work toward their sustainability goals. “Each year we see projects that inspire us with their creativity, practical impact and commitment to reducing waste in our community,” Rose said.

SPU and WM selected the 2025 ReThink Waste Grant recipients from a competitive pool of Seattle businesses and non-profits within WM’s service area. Each project presents a clear and actionable plan to reduce waste or create new pathways for sustainability. This year’s grantees include:

• Redesign Collective: ReFabrica (SODO) - $3,000 for workforce training of Casa Latina immigrants and helping small businesses upcycle their textiles.
• Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area - $3,000 to tackle litter by installing cigarette butt collection containers in the neighborhood.
• Chu Minh Tofu and Vegetarian Deli (Rainier Valley) - $2,000 to reduce food and packaging waste by distributing free okara to the community.
• West Seattle Tool Library - $1,000 to expand Fix-it sessions, repair tools and educate members about circular repair and reuse ethic.
• Greenwood Interurban Trail Little Free Library - $1,000 for secure dry storage to reduce food waste and help ensure delivery of free, nutritious food to the community.

Winner Spotlight

Among this year’s grant recipients, Redesign Collective’s ReFabrica initiative stands out for its focus on textile waste – one of the fastest-growing segments of the waste stream. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, annual textile waste generation has grown by more than 80 percent since the 1960s, making it a critical area for waste prevention and reuse innovation.

Through ReFabrica (Spanish for “remanufacture”), Redesign Collective provides workforce training for Latina immigrant women and supports small, local businesses in transforming post-consumer and industrial fabrics into ready-to-sew materials. The program is a model of how circular design can reduce waste while creating economic opportunity.

“Since 2022, Redesign Collective has diverted 5,000 pounds of textiles from Seattle interior design businesses,” said Lisa Hilbert, founder, Redesign Collective. “Through ReFabrica, we are training the workforce our region needs to make reclaimed textiles ready-to-sew for sustainable manufacturing in Seattle.”

Through programs like the ReThink Waste Grants, SPU and WM continue to champion innovative community collaboration that make Seattle a national leader in sustainability and resource recovery.