Program Grants $2.5M for Waste, Recycling Benefits in Oregon

During the first cycle of a three-year pilot program, Oregon’s Metro is providing nearly $2.5 million to businesses and organizations in the Portland region to help generate more benefits from the area’s garbage and recycling system.

The program was created by the Metro Council in December 2017 and can provide up to $3 million per year to support businesses and organizations involved in reusing, recycling, composting or making energy from waste in the Portland region. According to a Metro News report, the main goals of the program are to strengthen local efforts to reduce waste, make better use of the waste that is produced and help foster economic opportunities for people who have historically been left out of the garbage and recycling system.

Oregon Metro News has more details:

Expanding composting opportunities in East Multnomah County. Using robots to better sort and improve the quality of recyclable materials. Providing training for more people to become commercial truck drivers in the garbage and recycling industry with competitive wages. Reducing the amount of food thrown out in schools. Creating opportunities in the local deconstruction industry that increase the reuse of valuable construction materials.

These are just a few of the projects that will be supported by 14 Investment and Innovation grants.

In the first cycle of the three-year pilot program, Metro is providing nearly $2.5 million to local businesses and nonprofit organizations to reduce waste in the greater Portland region and help generate more benefits from the area’s garbage and recycling system.

Read the full article here.