The Dow Chemical Company is again teaming up with national nonprofit and longstanding partner Keep America Beautiful to award a total of $100,000 in grants for organizations to implement local waste recovery programs in their communities. The Hefty®EnergyBag™ program offers an innovative approach to diverting plastics that cannot be recycled, such as chip bags and juice pouches, from landfills and converting the materials into valuable energy resources.
The 2018 grant program builds upon the success of last year, when Dow awarded two $50,000 grants to organizations in Cobb County, Georgia (Keep Cobb Beautiful Inc.) and the City of Boise, Idaho to establish the program in their respective communities. This year, Dow will offer a total of $100,000 in grants to multiple communities across the nation.
“By collaborating with organizations and communities nationwide, we are increasing plastics recovery, reducing the amount of waste going into landfills and advancing the vision of a circular economy,” said Jon Pyper, associate director of sustainability & advocacy for Dow.
The grant application is open to municipalities, nonprofits, materials recovery facilities and other qualifying organizations through June 15, 2018. Dow will provide grant recipients with the blueprint to develop successful Hefty® EnergyBag™ programs, and will facilitate planning and implementation. Recipients will manage their local programs and solicit involvement from key community stakeholders.