Title
Grant Award - Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Project Award
Action
ACTION:
(A) Approve submission of grant application to United States Department of Agriculture, USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CCFWR-20-NOFO0001018, for the expansion of food waste composting programs and the use of compost in schools and community gardens for grant funding up to $50,000
(B) If awarded, recognize, receive and appropriate amount awarded to the Solid Waste Grant Fund (G701) for the duration of the grant
Staff Contact: Laurette Hall, Environmental Manager, LUESA - Solid Waste
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Mecklenburg County applied for a grant in the amount of $50,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Project. This grant would enable Mecklenburg County Solid Waste to move forward with expanding a pilot food waste collection program currently operating in approximately 15 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and three Central Piedmont Community College locations to a total of 30 locations. It also would allow for the provision of compost to local community gardens.
If awarded this grant opportunity, funding would be used to accomplish the following:
• Develop a new “Prep Area” food waste composting programs for schools, diverting food scraps from the kitchen food preparation areas only
• Expand the number of schools currently participating in the current food waste pilot for CMS and CPCC by 10-15 additional locations, doubling the amount of food waste diverted from landfills
• Develop instructional videos, educational materials and signage for all locations
• Supply compost to community gardens for soil quality improvement and water retention
• Purchase compost applicators to apply the food waste composted by the institutions to school grounds, creating a full circle opportunity of food waste recovery to compost use
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
Since 2013, Mecklenburg County Solid Waste has provided composting services to educational institutions to capture food waste from their waste stream. Approximately 40% of waste in schools is food waste. In 2019, Central Piedmont Community College also joined in the County’s effort to divert food waste. Mecklenburg County is supportive of the Environmental Protection Agency’s goal to reduce by half the food waste loss and waste in the United States.
POLICY IMPACT:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
Increase in revenue and associated expense in the Solid Waste Grant Fund (G701) in the amount of $50,000. The required match of $12,500 will be paid from the FY2020- 2021 Annual Operating Budget for Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (7001) for a total project cost of $62,500.