Project Grant 84077201

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT (IIJA). EPA'S CONSUMER RECYCLING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH (REO) GRANT PROGRAM WILL FUND A RANGE OF PROJECTS THAT WILL INCREASE WASTE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, INCREASE THE COLLECTION OF RECYCLABLE MATERIALS AND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION RATES, AND DECREASE CONTAMINATION OF THE RECYCLING STREAM, FUND PROJECTS THAT FOCUS ON COMMONLY RECYCLED MATERIALS SUCH AS MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (E.G., PLASTICS, ALUMINUM, PAPER, GLASS, ETC.), INCLUDING FOOD WASTE AND ORGANICS, AND/OR FUND PROJECTS AND PROVIDE TOOLS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT WILL LEAD TO LONG-TERM, SUSTAINED CHANGE, BENEFITS, AND SUPPORT BEYOND THE LIFE OF THE GRANT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO ENHANCE THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE'S EFFORTS TO MEET THE REO GRANTS ELEMENTS. THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE WILL DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE A TOOLKIT FOR A MUNICIPAL AND COMMERCIAL RECYCLING PROGRAM; AND CONDUCT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE COMPOSTING. ACTIVITIES:THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE WILL PERFORM THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: DEVELOP A TRAINING MODULE FOCUSED ON REDUCING CONTAMINATION AT COMMUNITY SITES. CREATE HOME COMPOSTING TRAINING MATERIALS AND VIDEOS, AND AN INTERACTIVE TOOLKIT FOR LOCAL COMPOSTING. BUILD A NATIONAL REGISTRY OF LOCAL HANDS-ON COMPOSTING TRAINERS. PRODUCE AND EXPAND ACCESS TO ITS INFOGRAPHICS, INFORMATIONAL SIGNAGE TEMPLATES, VIDEO AND OTHER MEDIA CONTENT, AND GUIDES TO AMPLIFY THE BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING AND HOW TO COMPOST PROPERLY. TRANSLATE OUR RESOURCES INTO OTHER LANGUAGES INCLUDING SPANISH. BUILD A NEW VIRTUAL SOCIAL GATHERING PLATFORM FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY COMPOSTER COALITION TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND CONVENE VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON NETWORKING EVENTS FOR PEER LEARNING. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT RESIDENTIAL OR COMMUNITY RECYCLING PROGRAMS; PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECYCLED MATERIALS THAT ARE ACCEPTED AS PART OF A RESIDENTIAL OR COMMUNITY RECYCLING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FOR THE SEPARATE COLLECTION OF RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE FROM RECYCLED MATERIAL; AND INCREASE COLLECTION RATES AND DECREASE CONTAMINATION IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY RECYCLING PROGRAMS.SUBRECIPIENT:THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE WILL PROVIDE SUBAWARDS IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $50,000 PER YEAR TO NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY COMPOSTERS WHO SERVE BIPOC AND CHRONICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THESE SUBAWARDS ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT COMPOSTERS ON THE GROUND IN DEVELOPING OUTREACH MATERIALS TO AMPLIFY COMPOSTING AND ITS BENEFITS AS WELL AS TO COVER STIPENDS FOR TRAINERS AND SPEAKERS AND BIPOC ORGANIZATIONS' TIME IN SHARING THEIR TIPS FOR REPLICATION, LESSONS LEARNED, AND GENERAL STORIES. POTENTIAL SUBAWARDEES INCLUDE BK ROT, A BROWN AND BLACK LED YOUTH-ENGAGED COMMUNITY COMPOSTER IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, WHO WE ARE TAPPING TO CREATE SOCIAL MEDIA SUCH AS TIKTOK VIDEOS THAT WILL SPECIFICALLY ENGAGE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS. ANOTHER PARTNER IS ECO CITY FARMS IN EDMONSTON, MARYLAND, WHICH IS AN URBAN FARM SERVING A RACIALLY DIVERSE FOOD INSECURE COMMUNITY AND WITH WHOM WE ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SOIL REBUILDERS COMPOSTER TRAIN-THE-TRAINER PROGRAM. ILSR ANTICIPATES $30,000/YR WILL GO TO BK ROT. THE REMAINING WILL BE AWARDED BASED ON THE PROJECT'S NEED FOR TRAINERS AND SPEAKERS AND STORIES FROM BIPOC-LED ORGANIZATIONS. OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE COMPOSTER TRAINING MATERIALS, SAMPLE SIGNAGE AND POSTERS, HOME AND COMMUNITY COMPOST TRAINING COURSES IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, PODCASTS AND WEBINARS, AN INTERACTIVE LOCAL COMPOSTING TOOLKIT, A NATIONAL REGISTRY OF LOCAL HANDS-ON COMPOSTING TRAINERS, AND VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED UNDERSTANDING BY PUBLIC AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF COMPOSTING BENEFITS, PARTICULARLY HOW COMPOSTING LOCALLY BENEFITS COMMUNITIES (SUCH AS JOBS, FOOD SECURITY, REDUCED POLLUTION, CLIMATE PROTECTION, SOIL