Cities and organizations across North America are accelerating organics recycling and waste diversion thanks to a wave of new funding initiatives—many supported by state and federal programs.
In Michigan, $5.6 million in Circular Economy Grants were awarded through the NextCycle Michigan accelerator program. Thirty recipients, from both peninsulas, will use the funds to enhance recycling infrastructure, including food waste recovery and plastics diversion. This investment supports supply chain development for reuse, repair, composting, and recycling, with a strong emphasis on historically underserved areas.
California continues to lead the charge with new programs tied to SB 1383, its landmark organic waste reduction law. The city of Redlands recently secured a $194,000 CalRecycle grant to expand education and implement food waste recycling for all residents. Meanwhile, South Lake Tahoe is investing $305,600 from the Every Bottle Back initiative to roll out new recycling carts for 19,100 households, streamlining curbside collection of recyclables and organics.
North of the border, British Columbia's RDCK launched a pilot subsidy to lower tipping fees for industrial, commercial, and institutional organics. With fees up to 65% lower than mixed waste disposal, plus rebates for starter equipment, the program aims to reduce barriers to participation while supporting local businesses.
Despite these successes, national infrastructure gaps remain. A recent report from the Composting Consortium found that many U.S. composting facilities are too small to handle projected food waste volumes. Scaling up will require substantial investment estimated at $125,000 to $250,000 just for startup permitting and engineering costs. The report calls for blended financing and policy reform to make large-scale composting more accessible and economically viable.
As landfill fees climb and regulatory mandates expand, cities and businesses alike are turning to organics recycling as a key strategy for reducing climate superpollutants like methane. At Diamond Scientific, we remain committed to supporting this transition with advanced gas analysis tools and emissions monitoring systems to ensure efficient, compliant operations.
Let’s build a cleaner, circular future one compost bin at a time. Interested in learning more about how Diamond Scientific supports sustainable innovation? Contact us at info@diamondsci.com
