Applications for the 2024-25 school year are now closed. Please check back in July 2025 for our next grant cycle.
Maine’s pioneer of single-sort recycling and provider of waste-to-energy solutions is pleased to announce that public or private schools in any of its member communities can apply for School Recycling & Compost Grants every year!
For Application: Click here
For Grant Rules and Guidelines: Click here
Proposals should demonstrate a commitment to the solid waste hierarchy and landfill diversion techniques, particularly REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, and COMPOST/DIGESTION.
Past grant proposals have ranged from purchasing in-school recycling bins or education materials, to offsetting compost hauling fees, or assisting schools to participate in tours of ecomaine.
If selected, recipients can receive up to $5,000 of $25,000 in available grant funds for the school year.
Recipients are chosen by ecomaine’s Outreach and Recycling Committee based on the following criteria:
(1) Project outline and school commitment
(2) Ease of project replication
(3) Demonstration of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, or composting (please note that gardening or green housing projects, while they promote sustainability and are generally lovely, will be given lower priority than those in waste diversion)
(4) Likelihood of success and program sustainability
(5) How compelling and worthy the funding is, overall
Grant proposals are accepted each year from any public or private school in ecomaine’s member communities. If you would like information about how to apply, bookmark this page and get in touch at 207-773-1738 or info@ecomaine.org.
Examples of Past Grants
- Appletree School, Cape Elizabeth: Chemical-free, compostable paper towels made from recycled content to replace reusable towels during COVID-19 pandemic
- Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine, Portland Clubhouse: To establish a composting program in the Portland Clubhouse
- Children’s Nursery School, Portland: Composting materials
- Gorham Cooperative Preschool: One compost tumbler
- Gray-New Gloucester High School, Gray: Composting materials, curriculum development, and community support
- King Middle School, Portland: Trash cleanup materials
- St. Brigid’s School, Portland: A Palgram Greenhouse
- Waldo County Technical Center, Liberty: Recycling collection and transportation
- Westbrook High School: Two reusable water bottle filling stations
- Kent’s Hill School, Readfield: To establish a campus-wide recycling bin program with consistent bins and labeling
