(Remote) May 1, 2023: The Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Fund and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are pleased to announce the release of the eighth grant request for applications designed to support projects with significant waste diversion impacts in the Front Range of Colorado. This grant cycle focuses on construction and demolition waste diversion and reduction, organic waste projects, and recycling infrastructure and collection projects. The grant opportunity provides up to $5 million in funding for multiple waste diversion projects focused in the 13-county region.
With this eighth grant offering, the Front Range Waste Diversion Board of Directors are seeking to support shovel-ready, high-impact projects that will divert a minimum of 1,000 additional tons of material per year. The enterprise fund 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, organizations and local governments in this region is key to achieving Colorado’s waste diversion goals.
“Colorado has impressive front range waste diversion goals because we care about the future of Colorado’s environment, economy, and communities,” said Laurie Johnson, chair of the Front Range Waste Diversion Board of Directors. “We are looking for grant applicants who are interested in diverting a significant amount of waste from landfills to help Colorado reach its goal. If you are ready to break ground on an eligible project, apply for this opportunity and join us in making our Front Range communities more sustainable.”
Colorado’s innovative local governments, private businesses, and non-profit organizations have creative ideas for achieving big goals to help increase the recycling and reuse of materials. Eligible grant applicants include municipal and county governments, private companies (haulers, end markets, materials recovery facilities, and others), educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Grant applicants can be headquartered anywhere— however, projects must directly advance waste diversion initiatives in the Front Range and both non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses must be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. Projects may be based in any of the following eligible counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, Teller, and Weld counties and/or the cities and counties of Broomfield and Denver.
In fewer than three years, FRWD has awarded $14 million to 39 grant recipients in its first seven grant cycles. Examples of previous grant awards include:
- 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.
- Western Disposal in Boulder received $338,084 to support diversion of construction and demolition through a new diversion operation within their materials management center.
- 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 to support wildfire mitigation efforts.
- Denver Department of Transportation received $2,300,000 to implement a pay-as-you-throw policy through expansion of curbside composting access to an additional 68,000 city residents.
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 grant application closes at 3 p.m. June 14. For more information about the Front Range Waste Diversion program and to access the grant RFA, please visit www.coloradofrwd.org/grants.
###