Top: Photo by Wendell Simonson

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) opened a request for applications (RFA) for its Colorado Waste Diversion Grants — part of the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) program — for projects that will take place anywhere in Colorado and that increase waste diversion and create jobs. Projects may focus on waste reduction, recycling, composting, repurposing, reuse, or anaerobic digestion for a wide variety of materials. Funding available for this RFA is $2 million, and projects may request anywhere from $25,001 to $2 million. Applications are due on March 1, 2021, with projects anticipated to start August 1, 2021; funds must be spent by June 30, 2022.

The solicitation includes projects that:

• Reduce use of materials by replacing disposable with reusable materials, reducing packaging, and eliminating the creation of waste
• Increase program participation, material recovery rate, or hauling capacity, or reduce contamination
• Install equipment and/or facility retrofits
• Expand end-markets for recycled products and material reuse
• Expand food rescue and food waste reduction programs
• Educate the public about waste diversion

CDPHE also issued an RFA from its Front Range Waste Diversion (FRWD) program —Advancing Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion and Reduction on the Front Range — for projects that will take place in Colorado’s Front Range counties and that reduce or divert construction and demolition (C&D) waste from landfills or create end markets. This option focuses on reduction and diversion of materials that include gypsum wallboard, treated wood, reclaimed asphalt shingles, carpet tiles, and construction plastics. Applications for projects from $25,000 to $700,000 are allowed from a total fund available of $2.5 million. Projects are anticipated to start August 1, 2021; funds must be spent within two years.

“The Front Range Waste Diversion Board of Directors identified priority areas for this RFA, including infrastructure projects that ‘move the needle’ on C&D waste diversion and directly divert material from Front Range landfills, those that develop market opportunities for Problematic Key Materials in the C&D stream, and applications to develop or implement a local policy or ordinance to reduce the generation of unmarketable construction materials,” states a CDPHE press release.