EPA sustainability funds announced for MARC, Unified Government and K-State
EPA Announces Over $469k in Funding for Three KC Area Sustainable Materials Management Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 announced funding for three Kansas City area Sustainable Materials Management projects on September 30:
- The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) was selected for $174,924 in funding for a project to address food waste reduction in the nine‐county Kansas City region through a Regional Food Waste Reduction Action Plan, food system mapping and an educational campaign.
- The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas was selected for $95,000 in funding to do a feasibility study for an organic material composting facility, including a site evaluation, feedstock and processing technologies evaluation, concept design, and financial evaluation.
- Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute (PPI) was selected for $200,000 in funding for a project in Johnson County, Kansas, that will work with industry and community partners to provide on-site technical assistance, identifying and documenting opportunities for food and solid-waste (packaging) source reduction, diversion, and recycling.
“This grant allows MARC to convene regional partners and stakeholders to address food waste in a holistic way through prevention, rescue and composting,” said MARC Executive Director David Warm. “These strategies will get more fresh food to those in need, reduce the financial burden to individual households, limit greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the region’s disposal needs.”
The EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management program is a systematic approach to using materials more productively. EPA’s SMM program supports efforts to help build community health by using lifecycle approaches to reduce health and environmental impacts of materials use, among other goals.