Circular Economy Funding - Previously known as ``Zero Waste Funding``

$50,000 to the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County for Circular Economy and Zero Waste Initiative for Underserved Businesses
This project addresses the need for more sustainable waste management practices in Boulder County’s food and hospitality sector, especially among minority-owned businesses. It aims to overcome barriers such as limited access to capital and knowledge by offering education, infrastructure support, and financial assistance. The project will promote circular economy models, helping businesses transition to reusable and compostable materials, reduce waste, and improve operational efficiency. Additionally, public awareness campaigns will foster community engagement, encouraging support for eco-friendly businesses and aligning efforts with Boulder County’s climate and zero-waste goals. The program includes bilingual workshops, personalized consulting, and mini grants to help businesses acquire reusable materials, composting tools, and recycling infrastructure. The program’s goals include reducing waste, improving operational efficiency, and integrating circular economy models. Key outcome objectives are to increase the adoption of reusable and compostable materials, divert waste from landfills, enhance community support through public awareness campaigns, and establish partnerships that ensure long-term sustainability across the region.

$25,000 to Green Girl Recycling for a 11-foot Hydraulic Stake Bed Truck
This project is to purchase a new 11-foot hydraulic tipping stake bed to put onto an 84” cab-to-axel 4×4 truck chassis to support more hard-to-reach mountain residential and commercial pickups. This would more than double the amount of recycling volume that Green Girl can haul from the mountain communities, improve driver safety, create more efficiency in unloading at the Boulder County Recycling Center, and allow Green Girl to divert more recycling from the Boulder County waste stream. Green Girl received funding from this grant 20 years ago for a 10-foot stake bed truck that is still in active use today and has been crucial to Green Girl diverting over 2,200 tons of recyclables from the mountain communities in Boulder County. Providing recycling services to harder-to-reach mountain communities lowers carbon footprint by reducing individual recycling trips. Green Girl specializes in serving mountain communities that face challenges from weather and wildlife.

$10,000 to Bridge House for Reuse of vegetable scraps to transform into broth for sale and for Mission Meals for the Homeless
This project funds the initial startup of a new broth social enterprise that will repurpose vegetable waste/scraps both from the ongoing Community Table Kitchen (CTK) food preparation business and turn the scraps into healthy, nutritious, high-quality, and sippable vegetable broth that will be sold in the Boulder JCC and CTK Cafes. The funding would help support, in part, the salary of one Trainee, who will be involved in the startup and implementation of the new broth business. Funding will also help purchase compostable certified containers to package the broth product in for sale. The Community Table Kitchen is an enterprise of Bridge House’s Ready to Work program, a “Work Works” model, transitional employment program for adults experiencing homelessness and rooted in social enterprise. In 2023, Community Table Kitchen prepared and distributed over 130,000 meals to food insecure persons.

$5,000 to Pig & Pearl Secondhand for Renewing an Inclusive Circular Economy in Boulder
The project is focused on upgrading infrastructure. The outcome objectives are (1) to facilitate greater quantities of items that are recycled and reused, (2) create new opportunities to reach our community to assist in recycling and reuse, (3) improve infrastructure and processing capabilities, (4) create a more efficient and safe environment for staff and volunteers that includes less lifting; particularly for those at greater ages and with significant disabilities, and (5) overall increase to the output of reusable items into the community that did not require new resources and/or plastic to make so that we have a more sustainable and lower footprint world, at least starting locally.

No, we cannot offer application extensions.

The list of ineligible uses of funds includes “funds for start-up business.” This means that funding cannot be used as seed funding for start-up businesses. However, start up businesses that are already operating may apply for funding for projects or programs.

Yes, a vehicle may be considered eligible equipment for this fund if it is necessary and used to achieve the circular economy goals of the fund.

Yes. Funding cannot be used to fund existing program operations but may be used to expand existing programs to new areas or populations or to include new materials streams or similar objectives that will increase waste diversion or another circular economy objective.

No. Land acquisition itself is not an eligible outcome for this funding.

No.

Potentially. Only work or projects in the service area are eligible.

Yes. The project or program work must be in the service area.

Yes, each application will be evaluated separately.

Yes

No, there is no advantage either way; do what make most sense for your organization(s) and the project.