This infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) project will provide technical assistance (e.g., information, training, expert advice) using P2 practices to address environmental justice concerns…

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), in partnership with the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (MISBF) and other regional/national partners, received a $683,836 Project Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Pollution Prevention Grants Program (CFDA 66.708). The project aims to provide technical assistance to address environmental justice concerns and improve human health/environment in disadvantaged communities. Key activities include developing an implementation framework, executing an educational campaign, and offering direct technical support and incentives to institutions and restaurants to transition to more sustainable food service products, with a focus on reducing the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in disposable food containers. The project will be implemented across Michigan, Illinois, and northern Indiana, targeting minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led restaurants, and other organizations in vulnerable communities. The sub-award to MISBF will support restaurant-level technical assistance, material development, and stakeholder outreach.

This infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) project will provide technical assistance (e.g., information, training, expert advice) using P2 practices to address environmental justice concerns and improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities. Specifically, the project work intends to support the reduced use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS) in food contact materials and accelerate the product transition to reusable and compostable products that reduce product life cycle environmental and socio-economic impacts.activities:the priorities and goals of the P2 grant are: to develop and pilot an interactive, data-informed, and field-tested implementation framework, execute an education and awareness campaign, and offer direct technical support and incentives to institutions and restaurants serving disadvantaged communities to empower their transitioning to more sustainable food service products. Subrecipient:university of illinois chicago (UIC), in partnership with michigan sustainable business forum (MISBF) and other regional and national partners, will develop and pilot an interactive, data-informed, field-tested implementation framework, execute an education and awareness campaign, and provide direct technical support, with a specific focus on those food service facilities that serve and/or are located in disadvantaged communities in michigan, illinois and northern indiana. The project will be greatly facilitated by an experienced team at the subawardee, MISBF and executive director daniel schoonmaker will provide strategic leadership on the program and support execution of all tasks and subtasks. Subawardee will be involved with restaurant-level technical assistance, collaborate on technical assistance material development and outreach to other partners and stakeholders. Outcomes:the technical assistance anticipated under the grant is expected to provide the following P2 deliverables, and anticipated outputs and outcomes to support targeted disadvantaged communities. Specifically, the grantee anticipates providing: the project aims to reduce the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food contact materials and accelerate the product transition to reusable and compostable products such as those that conform to EPA's recommendations (BPI-certified compostable or reusable products). Encouraging substitution for disposable food service products containing PFAS chemicals offers substantial CO-benefits that leverage and propel emerging movements for plastic waste reduction, and landfill diversion, reduce contamination in composting, and promote consumer-driven sustainability. With a focus on msis, bipoc-led restaurants and organizations in michigan, illinois and northern indiana communities vulnerable to environmental injustice, this project will empower and propel the change by developing and piloting data-informed and market-based technical assistance programs. This program will be the first multi-state awareness and educational campaign for certified-compostable and reusable food service products in the great lakes region, building on a decade of projects, studies, and sales campaigns to advance plasticreduction initiatives in the region. IT will reposition the movement as a preferred P2 safer choice best practice, while creating implementation strategies to address common barriers. Further, the project output will provide tools and materials to be widely disseminated among food service operations in all sectors, with the support of our evolving partner network through the project period. The technical support infrastructure that can be replicated throughout EPA region 5 and nationwide to address similar barriers to adoption in disadvantaged communities.