Press Release  MassDEP Awards More Than $140,000 in Microgrants to Boost Circular Economy in Massachusetts

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) today announced $140,126 in microgrants awarded to organizations, municipalities and academic institutions focused on reducing waste generation and prolonging the lifespan of products by offering donation, rescue, reuse and repair services across the state. The funding, awarded through MassDEP’s Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant Program, is given to projects that provide innovative and impactful ways to curb waste and keep products in use through donation, rescue, reuse and repair. Approximately 74 percent of the awarded projects will serve environmental justice communities.

“Reducing the amount of waste we produce — by reusing, repairing, rescuing, and donating what we already have — has the biggest direct impact on our ability to meet our waste reduction goals,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “Funding these projects ensures we have the infrastructure to tackle waste reduction right here in Massachusetts.”

The funding awarded by the Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant Program helps cover the costs associated with developing and implementing reuse and repair projects that lead to waste reduction, including equipment, tracking software, and training. Grants are awarded across the public, private, nonprofit and educational services sectors. Recipients were selected through a rigorous evaluation process that scored applications based on need, innovation, feasibility, sustainability and impact.

2024 Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant Recipients:

• The Bike Connector — $3,000
• University of Massachusetts Amherst/Sustainable UMass — $8,000
• Food Rescue US, Inc. — $10,000
• City of Cambridge — $6,000.00
• New Life Furniture Bank of MA — $10,000
• Lawrence General Hospital — $10,000
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth — $3,808
• Hampshire College — $7,500
• Women's Lunch Place — $5,000
• Hens & Chicks Consignment Store — $6,650
• MIT Office of Sustainability in collaboration with MIT Fashion Innovation Hub, Undergraduate Association Committee on Sustainability, and Climate Corps@MIT — $7,000
• Berkshire Environmental Action Team — $9,440
• Devens Eco-Efficiency Center — $6,491
• Edwards Public Library — $2,500
• Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity — $9,200
• Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, Inc. — $9,625
• Carey Company Inc. — $3,500
• Town of Westport — $5,000
• Ashby Free Public Library — $5,000
• Colrain Central School and Sanderson Academy — $2,012
• Swanson's Fabrics — $3,650
• Computers For People Inc. — $5,000
• Fresh Start Furniture Bank (FSFB) — $1,750
   

Please visit the MassDEP Micro-Grant Program online for more information on the application process and guidelines.

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. 

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