Zero Waste Grants

Zero Waste Grants is sponsored by San Francisco Department of the Environment. Awards grant funding to organizations working on source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting to help San Francisco achieve zero waste.

Zero Waste Grants | San Francisco Environment Department (SFE) The Zero Waste Program awards grant funding to non-profit organizations whose work in source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting helps San Francisco towards zero waste. SF Environment Department Announces Grant Opportunities Biennial Grant Funding RFP - 2025 SF Environment advances climate protection and enhances the quality of life for all San Franciscans.

In alternating years, SF Environment issues program-wide grant opportunities for eligible applicants. Funding for the current cycle of grantmaking comes from Zero Waste and the San Francisco Carbon Fund .

The 2025-2027 SF Environment grantmaking cycle may provide up to $1,145,000 in funding for up to 28 projects across four primary categories: Toxics Reduction and Healthy Communities, Zero Waste, Community Education and Engagement, and Urban Greening Please read the detailed RFP instructions here: https://www. sfenvironment. org/opengrants Questions?

Submit written questions to [email protected] .

A response to written questions will be provided after 5/16/25 Deadline for Questions: 5/16/25 at 12pm PST Proposal Deadline Date and Submission : Previously: Due 5/30/25 at12pm PST, Extended: Due 6/6/25 at 5:00 pm PST 2023 to 2025 Zero Waste Grant recipients Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM) Plastic-Free San Francisco Farmers Markets Distribute 20,000 reusable cotton mesh bags to vendors at two farmers markets to eliminate plastic.

Asian Pacific American Community Center (APACC) Educating Community Ourselves (ECO) Waste Program Conduct recycling and composting outreach to residents in Sunnydale Housing. Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco BGCSF's Zero Waste Project 2023-2024 Install water refill stations at clubhouses and provide youth-led zero waste trainings to students and staff.

Recover 20,000 lbs of food per year for the culinary training program to prepare free community meals. Garden for the Environment Get Up! Compost Training Program and Public Compost Education Provide free backyard compost education to San Franciscans and the extensive gardening educator training program, Get Up!

Bike Repair Fix It Clinic Performs free bicycle repair clinics with community groups and San Francisco Public Library branches. Work with 25 food-generating businesses to comply with SB 1383 by providing food donation services. San Francisco Market Corporation (SF Market) Recover 1 million pounds of healthy produce annually and direct it to community groups.

Recover 500 tons of materials from landfill and provide 600 creative reuse classes and free teacher workshops and giveaways. Purchase Trashbot AI robotic waste sorters to reduce refuse contamination at Mission Bay and Mount Zion. Carolyn Lasar from The SF Market Corporation, a department grant recipient, is holding recovered produce SCRAP offers free teacher workshops and creative reuse classes.

2021 to 2023 Zero Waste Grant recipients Asian Pacific American Community Center (APACC) Educating Community Ourselves (ECO) Waste Program Conducted recycling and composting outreach to residents in Sunnydale Housing. Bike Repair and Reuse Program Bicycle recycling and job training project that diverted, repaired, and redistributed recycled bikes and parts from San Francisco's landfill stream.

California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) Rescued approximately 1. 3 tons of clothing and textiles from entering San Francisco's landfill stream through a coordinated garment and textile recovery and repair system. Charity Cultural Services Chinatown Youth Environment Awareness Program Zero Waste Youth Environmental Awareness (YEA) Program that recovered approximately 150 tons of material from San Francisco's landfill stream.

Food recovery program that reduced food waste by approximately 20. 5 tons by working with local produce companies to rescue cosmetically imperfect produce. Garden for the Environment (GFE) Get Up!

Compost Training Program and Public Compost Education Zero Waste Program that offered free residential backyard composting classes, training, and the Gardening Composting Educator Program. Race to Zero Waste (R20W) Zero Waste Educational Pop Ups Zero Waste Station pop-ups that offered educational outreach in pubicly accessible spaces such as parks, beaches, and school grounds.

San Francisco Market Corporation (SF Market) Zero Waste Program that rescued edible food from entering San Francisco's landfill stream and redistributed it to San Francisco's food insecure. Reusable Systems Transition Provided technical assistance to help small businesses transition from disposables to reusables.

UCSF Sustainability Program Surgical Supply Recovery Program Zero Waste surgical supply recovery program that recovered 75 tons of refuse from San Francisco's waste stream. YMCA of SF's material Re-Use Center engaged program participants and community members in activities to meaningfully diminish waste in San Francisco through reuse projects and recovered approximately 5 tons of materials from entering San Francisco's landfill stream.