Community Corner
SPU and WM Announce Winners of 2023 ReThink Waste Grants
El Centro de la Raza and Shared Spaces Foundation-Heron's Next Outdoor Education Center awarded $5,000 grants on waste reduction projects.
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and WM are teaming up for the fifth year in a row to invest $10,000 in innovative stewardship projects in Seattle. Funds are going to two organizations in Seattle. A selection committee composed of staff members from SPU’s Residential Solid Waste Outreach and WM’s public education and outreach teams chose from nine submissions from Seattle community organizations that are within WM service areas.
Grant recipients will develop community-based projects focused on waste reduction.
SPU and WM are pleased to announce the following recipients of the 2023 ReThink Waste Grants:
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Shared Spaces Foundation - The Heron’s Nest Outdoor Education Center ($5,000) – The grant will be used for the purchase and maintenance of two plastic shredding and extruding machines. The machines will process plastics recycled from households and businesses around the Duwamish River Valley and plastics collected at river cleanup events through the Duwamish River Kayak/Canoe program. The Center will also use some of the funds to construct compost bins to produce compost for local urban gardens.
El Centro de la Raza ($5,000) – The grant will help modernize water bottle filling stations at El Centro de la Raza’s historic school building in Beacon Hill. The filling stations are part of the organization's broader youth education centered on water conservation and the impact of plastic pollution.
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“The ReThink Waste Grant program gives local organizations an opportunity to produce a creative program that can help its community become more sustainable,” said Joey Pellecchia, senior district manager, WM of Seattle.
“We’re thrilled to invest in such forward-thinking projects,” said Jeff Fowler, deputy director of solid waste at Seattle Public Utilities. “Fostering innovation is a win for everyone – the great minds and organizations behind these projects, the Utility, our customers, and the environment.”
Through collaboration with the City of Seattle, WM developed the annual ReThink Waste Grant program to support community-based organizations in their efforts toward waste prevention, waste reduction or increased recycling and composting.
