Top: City of Durham (NC) residential food scraps drop-off site, funded by a NCDEQ grant. Photo by Muriel Williman, Senior Assistant Solid Waste Manager, City of Durham Waste Disposal & Recycling Center

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Food Waste Reduction Grant application period is open to local governments, non-profits, and businesses to develop food waste reduction infrastructure by expanding food donation networks or organics recycling operations, including collection and hauling. The 2025 Priority Project Grants are eligible for up to $60,000 in funding; they support investments that have been determined by NCDEQ’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service to be of particular importance to growing and expanding efficient and effective waste reduction and organics recycling services throughout North Carolina. Examples include edible food recovery projects, new in-state organics recycling infrastructure or renovation of facilities and/or hauling operations that have been operating for less than five years and accept food waste from outside sources. Standard Project Grants are eligible for up to $40,000 in grant funding and include any projects that increase the tons of wasted food diverted from landfill disposal but fall outside of the 2025 priorities. Examples include acquiring carts for curbside food scrap collection, establishment of a drop-off site for residential or commercial food scraps, purchasing a truck or vehicle to collect edible food for donation or food scraps for composting, and construction of a concrete composting pad. Learn more at this link; applications will be accepted until Friday, November 8, 2024.