usda sends $11.5M to almost 40 food waste reduction and composting projects

Thanks to one-time federal stimulus funding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was able to provide $11.5 million in funding to projects across the country that help keep organics out of incinerators and landfills (and hat tip to Waste Dive for amplifying this news!). It’s a good reminder that the USDA is a close partner with the U.S. EPA in creating and operationalizing food waste reduction and diversion strategies.

Here are just some of the projects funded (check out the Waste Dive article for more!):

• Oklahoma City, OK, is piloting a free compost collection program with 20 drop off sites, 40% of which will benefit disadvantaged communities.

• Los Angeles, CA will increase farmers’ market food waste drop-off sites, serving environmental justice communities.

• Cleveland, OH will grow the amount of residential compost drop-off locations from seven to 17, with a focus on disadvantaged communities. It will “provide subsidized monthly subscriptions to composting services to 250 SNAP-eligible households” and train 34 composting specialists from the historically disadvantaged Kinsman neighborhood through community partners.

• Chicago, IL Public Schools will use its funding to create universal composting plan for all schools, including training for staff and students. Schools in Alaska, Arizona, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin will also get involved in composting through new funding.

  The USDA’s website includes a map and spreadsheet of all the recipients. A portal for the 2023 round of funding notes that applicants could receive anywhere from $55,000 to $400,000.