The environmental costs of manufacturing new products are significant as raw materials are extracted from the Earth, refined into product components, assembled, packaged, and then transported to be sold. And managing the harmful greenhouse gas and solid waste that remains is becoming increasingly difficult and more expensive. 

The Washington Department of Ecology is now accepting applications for a popular grant program that helps people reduce those environmental costs and save money. Public Participation Grants (PPG) support people and non-profits who are working to improve Washington’s waste management system and get their communities involved with local clean-ups. Applications for the newest grant cycle are accepted now through May 11, 2023.  

Many types of projects qualify for this funding, and grants vary in amounts up to $120,000 over a two-year period. Ecology awarded $2,391,587 to 22 recipients during the 2019-21 award cycle. We’ve more than doubled the funding over the next two years to approximately $4.8 million.

Grants support culture of reuse and repair

Processes of creating, marketing, and disposing of new products when they no longer work require a lot of energy and lead to harmful greenhouse gas emissions, which along with the remaining solid waste is increasingly difficult and expensive to manage. The most efficient way to lower those costs is to not create the new product in the first place. Eliminating the need for a new item by repairing and reusing an older item can also save Washingtonians a lot of money, conserve natural resources, reduce waste and eliminate production of climate changing gasses.

“Public Participation Grants are how Ecology supports a culture of reuse and repair at a time when the waste crisis demands “upstream” solutions,” said Faith Wimberley, Public Participation Grant Manager. “Public Participation Grants equip people with the tools to choose repair and reuse over purchasing new, which increases the resilience of Washington's waste management resources.”
 
Projects eligible for a grant from this program support the State’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Plan, where waste reduction tops of the list. Enabling more repair and reuse of products is among the State Plan’s highest goals.

Repairing products saves money

The relationships we have with our possessions play a bigger role in our lives than some like to admit. This makes getting every last mile out of them – and then some – as important as ever.

Tool libraries, such as the South King Tool Library, operate with PPG funds and act as community check-out service that empowers its members to maintain their homes and other possessions. This reduces consumption costs for the homeowner and negative impacts on the environment. It’s also a great way to meet new friends and become part of a community that values a do-it-yourself attitude.

The “Repair Cafés” are organized by the Tool Library and led by the same volunteers who repair and maintain its shed of implements. Since opening in 2020, the South King Tool Library estimates it has helped divert more than 150,000 pounds of material away from landfills, saved the community more than $250,000 and eliminated about 26,000 pounds of carbon output.

More information

Individuals and organizations with new and ongoing projects that improve waste management in Washington are encouraged to apply for a 2023 Public Participation Grant. Other waste management projects that could qualify for grant through this program include plastics and food waste reduction, or public education on toxics and safer alternatives to common products.
 
The May 11th deadline will be here soon, so don’t wait until you’ve run out of time. Learn more, view a webinar, and apply online today.