E-newsletter highlighting grant deadlines, upcoming workshops and available resources for municipal recycling and solid waste leaders. |
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New Connecticut Business Recycling Assistance
It’s estimated that approximately $218 billion worth of food is thrown away every year. Reducing food waste is smart for business. It can help you save money over time, improve employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices. Now, businesses like yours in Connecticut have an additional way to reduce overall waste. The Center for EcoTechnology (CET) can offer no-cost support to help businesses in Connecticut reduce waste.
Not only can this support help with recycling, but it comes just in time to help businesses respond to the new CT Public Act 21-16, which requires businesses that generate 26 tons or more of food scraps to divert these organics for recycling. CET can help with all forms of food recovery, from reducing food waste and donating surplus food, to recycling food scraps through animal feed, composting, and anaerobic digestion.
Are you a commercial food wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, resort, or conference center located within 20 miles of a permitted recycling facility? Do you generate 26 tons per year of food scraps or more? If so, you may be covered by this new law. CET can help you set-up systems to source-separate this material, understand collection options, and expand current food waste diversion efforts.
When it comes to preventing and diverting a wide range of materials from disposal, CET can offer support, helping businesses that are just getting started to those who want to take their existing efforts to the next level. In addition to the more commonly recycled materials such as paper, cardboard, and containers, CET staff have expertise in hard-to-recycle materials such as electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, pallets, and construction materials.
The Sheraton Hotel at Bradley is just one business that found success diverting food scraps. The Sheraton worked with CET to implement a food scraps recycling program, which reduced the number of waste collection pick-ups from four pick-ups per week down to one, resulting in a cost savings of about $2,500 per year. CET has a robust toolbox of resources and has developed state-specific materials about food donation, donating food in schools, and Spotlights from New Haven.
CET is is under contract with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to help Connecticut businesses and institutions reduce waste. Contact one of CET’s recycling experts at 888-410-3827 or click here to learn more or get started.
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EPA Pollution Prevention (P2) Grants
Proposals Due: April 11, 2022
Pollution Prevention (P2) grants provide technical assistance to businesses to help them develop and adopt source reduction practices. Preventing pollution at the source, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of advancing a sustainable economic and environmental infrastructure.
EPA has released two P2 Grant Funding Availability Announcements for FY 2022 – FY 2023. Applicants are welcome to apply to one or both announcements.
The first is a new opportunity of approximately $14 million, the first of five annual installments of funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The maximum amount of these grants is $350,000.
The second opportunity includes approximately $9.38 million in funding over a two-year funding cycle with individual grant awards up to $800,000 for the two-year funding period or $400,000 funded per year and includes a cost share/match requirement of fifty percent.
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ReFED Updated
Food Waste Policy Finder
ReFED has updated and relaunched the Food Waste Policy Finder, an interactive online resource developed and maintained in partnership with the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC), which allows users to explore legislative and regulatory policy at the federal and state levels, along with best practices and recommendations for policy improvements to support your food waste reduction goals.
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New Resource from The Recycling Partnership
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Deconstruction for Contractors
& Homeowners
webinar
March 29, 2022
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
The Center for EcoTechnology (CET) is hosting a free webinar on deconstruction best practices and homeowner incentives in Connecticut.
In addition to presenters from CET, attendees will hear from The Green Mission Inc., Deconstruction Works, and Urbanminers. Through presentations by these experts in the green demolition and material appraisal fields, participants will gain a better understanding of how waste reduction and deconstruction practices can be integrated into their expertise and applied on-site. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions following the presentations, along with the chance to network with potential deconstruction project partners.
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Ditching Disposables:
Dish Washing and Dish Machines in K-12 schools
Thursday, March 31, 2022
5:00 - 6:00pm
In this webinar, we will provide novel solutions about how to wash dishes everyday from K-12 school sites. We are hoping this will help schools transition to safe reusable foodware and realize the many benefits of cost, sustainability and moving towards upstream solutions. Our presenters include K-12 dish machine experts, active school parents turned policy makers, and a mobile dish machine company. We hope to start a conversation about dish machines and how to begin transitioning K-12 schools towards safer reusable foodware. Come join us to discuss how to make washing reusable foodware at your school a reality!
Learn about:
-How to utilize your current dish machine and switch to reusables.
-How to begin the conversation around dish machines at your school.
-How mobile dish machines can serve your K-12 schools.
-Policies that can help schools attain funding for dish machines.
-How dish machines can make K-12 schools more sustainable and resilient.
This webinar is designed for a broad range of stakeholders interested in transitioning to healthier food service ware in their schools, including school food nutrition staff, district administrators, procurement, sustainability, facilities, and operations staff, teachers, green team members, parents, and students.
The presentations will be recorded, and followed by a Q&A. Register here
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CT Compost Alliance 2022 Compost Series:
2022 Webinar and Field Trips
The CT Compost Alliance is pleased to announce its webinar and tours for 2022.
SESSION 1:
Composting Basics and the Science of Compost
Mar 23, 2022
3:00pm - 6:00pm
3:00pm - Welcome, Chelsey Hahn, CT DEEP
3:15-4:30pm - Basic Principles of Composting
Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab
4:45-6:00 - Science of Compost
Robert J Rafka, Ph.D., FRSC, Chemistry Teacher, Fitch High, Groton & Retired Pfizer Chemist
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SESSION 2:
Farm Composting/BioChar in Compost
Mar 30, 2022
3:00pm - 6:00pm
3:00pm - Welcome
Jim Hyde, UDA NRCS
3:15-4:30pm - On-Farm Composting
Andrew Carpenter, Northern Tilth
Additional speakers TBA
4:45-6:00pm - Biochar In Compost
David Newman, Arthur's Point Farm
Jim Hyde, USDA NRCS
Huijie Gan, Post-Doc, UConn, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
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SESSION 3:
Large/Municipal and Commercial Scale Composting
Apr 6, 2022
3:00pm - 6:00pm
3:00pm - Welcome
Sherill Baldwin, CT DEEP
3:15 - 4:45 - Municipalities Developing On-Site Compost Initiatives
Moderator: Coryanne Mansell, CET
Brent Madho, CT DEEP
Doug Colter, City of West Haven
Leah Retherford & Jim Davis, Atlas Organics
Dave Aldridge, SCRRRA
5:00-6:00pm - Municipalities Creating Opportunities to Collect Food
Moderator: Kat McCarthy, CET
Brian Bartram, Towns of Salisbury / Sharon
Kim O’Rourke, City of Middletown
Julie DesChamps, Waste Free Greenwich
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Save the Dates
Compost Field Trips
All tours will require pre-registration. Limited space. All are being scheduled in the mornings, and more information on how to register will be shared soon.
April 2 - Large/Municipal Scale Composting
April 29 - Farm Composting
May 7 - Home Composting/Beginner
June 25 - Home Composting/Beginner
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THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW: TRANSFORMING U.S. RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is an historic investment in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities. With unprecedented funding to support local waste management infrastructure and recycling programs, EPA will improve people’s health and safety and help establish and increase recycling programs nationwide.
$350 Million Investment in Infrastructure to Transform Municipal Solid Waste Management and Recycling
• This substantial investment will transform recycling and solid waste management by helping communities modernize local waste management systems and improve education and outreach on how to recycle right.
• Municipal solid waste management has long suffered from a lack of investment.
• Some communities that lack waste management infrastructure do not have curbside waste collection services, recycling, or composting programs. This increases the burden on landfills, decreases their capacity, and increases greenhouse gas emissions.
• Mismanaged waste can compound social and economic conditions in historically underserved and overburdened communities.
• This investment will support implementation of EPA’s National Recycling Strategy; provide grants to improve local materials management; and assist local waste management authorities in making improvements to their waste management systems.
• Funds will be used to help state, local and Tribal governments improve education and outreach on how to recycle right, as well as provide a model recycling program toolkit.
• Funds will also be used to implement EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for federal purchases and assist schools with recycling curricula.
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NERC's DE&I Training Series
NERC and partners offer a national – virtual – four-part training series on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) for those working in recycling and solid waste industries. The Trainings are free and open to anyone attending.
The Training series includes presentations, discussions, and sharing of resources about:
- Making the Case for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Recognizing & Addressing Unconscious Bias
- Creating a DE&I Path for Government Employees
- Engaging with Diverse Communities
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or Images for your Newsletter?
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Missed the last Newsletter or recent Webinar?
Check out the
on the CT DEEP webpage.
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Upcoming Events:
MARCH 2022
March 21, 2022 - 1:30pm - DEI Training #4 - Engaging With Diverse Communities. Register here. Hosted by NERC.
March 22, 2022 - 9:30am - 11:30am - CT Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Register here. Hosted by Connecticut DEEP.
March 23, 2022 - 3:00pm - 6:00pm - Compost Series: Composting Basics and the Science of Compost webinar. Register here. Hosted by the CT Compost Alliance.
March 29, 2022 - 3:00pm - 4:00pm - Deconstruction for Contractors: Strategies for Reusing Building Materials in Connecticut webinar Register here. Hosted by Center for EcoTechnology.
March 30, 2022 - 3:00pm - 6:00pm - Compost Series: Farm Composting/BioChar in Compost webinar. Register here. Hosted by the CT Compost Alliance.
March 31, 2022 - 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Ditching Disposables: Dish Washing and Dish Machines in K-12 Schools. webinar. Register here. Hosted by the Center for Environmental Health.
APRIL 2022
April 6, 2022 - 3:00pm - 6:00pm - Compost Series: Large/Municipal and Commercial Scale Composting webinar. Register here. Hosted by the CT Compost Alliance.
April 12-13, 2022 - 1:00 - 5:00pm - NERC Spring Conference. For more information Virtual. Hosted by NERC. $
MAY 2022
May 10-12, 2022 - 2022 Food Waste Solutions Summit. Minneapolis, MN. Register here. Presented by ReFED. $
May 16-17, 2022 - 2022 NRRA Annual Conference: What's Next: Rethinking Resource Recovery, Manchester, NH Register here. Hosted by NRRA. $
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The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request an accommodation contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov. |
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CT DEEP | Source Reduction & Recycling Group | 860-424-4193 | www.ct.gov/deep/recycle |
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