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 ...
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