State Offers Grants Totaling $125,000 for Waste-prevention Solutions

BOSTON — On April 15, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will begin accepting applications for its 2025 Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grants. The application will be available on MassDEP’s website and must be submitted by 5 p.m. on May 15.

This grant program supports innovative waste-prevention solutions as alternatives to the disposal or new purchase of products across Massachusetts. Eligible projects will help advance the state’s goal of stopping waste at the source and reducing statewide waste disposal by 30% by 2030.

The Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grants range from $3,000 to $10,000 and reimburse costs associated with developing and implementing proposed projects. To qualify, projects must focus on reducing waste in Massachusetts through donation, sharing, rescue, reuse, and/or repair, and take a year or less to complete.

Both private and public sector entities, including businesses, nonprofits, schools, and local governments, are eligible to apply. MassDEP is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and environmental justice through its grant programs. MassDEP will prioritize projects that directly benefit environmental justice populations.

Examples of eligible projects include switching from single-use to reusable food service ware at schools, restaurants, or institutional cafeterias (such as installing dishwashers, onboarding with a dishwashing service, or adopting reusable dishware and/or takeout containers); promoting responsible dismantling of buildings — which allows materials to be recycled or reused — by hosting trainings, piloting a deconstruction project, and/or recovering and reselling used building materials; or starting or expanding programs that repair used furniture, appliances, electronics, and other durable goods for resale or distribution, to name a few.

Click here for a complete overview of the grant, including additional project ideas, eligible uses of funds, timeline information, evaluation criteria, and definitions of key terms.

MassDEP will host a virtual information session on Tuesday, April 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. Click here to register. After the application opens on April 15, questions must be submitted in writing to Leah Kelleher at leah.kelleher@mass.gov. All questions are due by April 29. Answers will be posted to the micro-grant webpage on May 2. Click here for more information.