The New York City Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY’s) Foundation for New York’s Strongest has announced the launch of a microgrant program for city businesses looking to address food waste in their operations. The grants, worth up to $15,000, aim to help New York City businesses prevent, recycle or recover food waste.
The foundation’s program designed to provide support for city businesses taking action to address food waste. Proposals will be accepted from businesses that are working toward food waste prevention, recovery and recycling solutions already or wish to get started. The foundation will award grants of up to $2,000, plus technical advisory and other goods and services, to businesses that can demonstrate a need for support and a viable implementation plan. Businesses may partner together to submit companion applications which, in total, may receive up to $5,000.
Through a technical advisory partnership with New York State, as well as matching funds and donations of supplies, equipment and in-kind support, the Foundation will be able to offer grant packages valued at up to $15,000 per grantee.
“Engaging New Yorkers in the effort to fight climate change is fundamental to our city’s future and dramatically cutting food waste is a critical part of that work,” Mark Chambers, director of the NYC mayor’s Office of Sustainability, says. “We are proud to support the NYC Department of Sanitation as they launch this microgrant program to provide NYC small businesses with the resources and information necessary to tackle food waste at the source.”
The microgrant program is the first of its kind for the foundation and is a result of the NYC Food Waste Fair, an educational event held earlier this year by the foundation with a focus on helping city businesses prevent, recycle or recover the more than 650,000 tons of food waste that they throw away each year.
“We need all hands on deck to achieve zero waste to landfills by 2030, including our commercial partners, big and small,” Kathryn Garcia, SDNY commissioner, says. “The NYC Food Waste Fair was proof of the significant interest our smaller businesses have in reducing food waste in their operations, and the microgrant program picks up where it left off, with the Foundation for New York’s Strongest providing direct support to businesses answering the call to action.”
For more information on the microgrant program, and to apply, visit http://foodwastefair.nyc.