REMOTE (October 13, 2022): The Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are pleased to announce their seventh grant cycle to support projects with significant waste diversion impacts in the Front Range of Colorado. Eligible applicants include government agencies, private companies (haulers, remanufacturers, material recycling facilities, etc.), educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.
The Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise's mission is to provide grants and technical assistance to projects that create, advance, or expand recycling or compost collection, processing, remanufacturing or waste diversion policy on the Front Range, with the goal of reducing the amount of waste going to landfills. The enterprise has ambitious Front Range waste diversion goals of at least 39 percent by 2026 and 51 percent by 2036. The Front Range generates about 85 percent of the state’s waste, so engaging businesses in that region is key to achieving recycling goals.
Grant applicants can be headquartered anywhere, but projects must directly advance waste diversion initiatives in the Front Range. Projects may be based in any of the following eligible counties:
Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, Teller, and Weld counties and/or the cities and counties of Broomfield and Denver.
In less than two years, the Front Range Water Diversion Enterprise has awarded $10 million to 30 grant recipients in its first five grant cycles. Examples of awarded grants include:
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Lambland/A1 Organics was awarded $1,501,280 to upgrade compost infrastructure at their Class III facility in Weld County to meet the growing supply of mixed source-separated organics, including compostable packaging.
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Jefferson County received $1,065,000 to design and build a permanent slash (tree, and shrub trimmings, limbs, and tree trunks) diversion facility adjacent to the Rooney Road Recycling Center.
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arc Thrift Stores received an award of $247,783 to increase textile diversion rates by upgrading their warehouse and recycling department fleet.
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Denver Department of Transportation received $2.3 million to implement pay-as-you-throw policy and expand curbside composting access to an additional 68,000 Denver residents.
During this round of grant awards, the enterprise board is looking forward to supporting shovel-ready, high-impact projects.
“We are looking for projects that are going to move the needle on waste diversion in the Front Range,” said Laurie Johnson, president of the FRWD Board of Directors. “Diverting tons from the landfill is key. We also want projects that are ready to break ground, so they can launch right into action.”
The application deadline is 3 p.m. (MT), November 18. For more information about the grant program and to access the grant application, please visit the FRWD web page or email FRWDambassador@recycle.com.
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