The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District Special Project Grant supports the efforts of municipal corporations, villages, townships, local agencies and institutions, schools, and nonprofits located within Cuyahoga County to reduce waste by initiating or expanding recycling or composting programs, illegal dumping programs, encourages sustainable practices, and increasing awareness of and participation in proper materials management.
Donor Name: Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District
State: Ohio
County: Cuyahoga County (OH)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/30/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Eligible applicants may apply for a grant of up to $25,000 to purchase equipment, materials, and services that will support sustainable materials management and reduce the environmental impact of waste. There is no local match required for this grant unless a project’s cost exceeds the grant amount awarded by the District.
Eligible Projects
The following project examples are illustrative and not all-inclusive.
- Materials for communities to engage residents through a cart tagging program, directly and indirectly, to change the curbside recycling behavior of households contaminating the recycling stream (mailers, tags, tracking apps, etc.).
- Equipment for illegal dumping law enforcement efforts (surveillance camera equipment, hardware, software, and/or signage).
- Materials for outreach and education (printing, design, and/or production of recycling educational materials).
- New or expansion of existing curbside recycling, including equipment and recycle containers.
- New or expansion of existing drop-off recycling or organics management, including equipment, trucks, and recycle or organics containers.
- Equipment for collecting and processing recyclable material (cardboard, glass, plastic, etc.) or organics.
- Recycling equipment, materials, and supplies for special venues and events. Cardboard containers, clear stream containers, permanent recycling containers, permanent organics containers, and associated signage.
Allowable Costs
The following examples of allowable grant costs are illustrative and not all-inclusive.
- Purchase of equipment, tools, and supplies for new or expanded recycling and organics management programs.
- Purchase or rental of equipment, tools, and supplies for illegal dumping law enforcement efforts or cleanup of illegal dumping sites.
- Signage related to the project.
- Outreach and educational materials related to the project.
- Site improvements directly related to project.
- Personal Services Contracts covering the costs necessary for services of public or private contractors related to the project.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be reviewed and scored according to the following criteria:
- Degree to which the application describes the grant project and the materials to be purchased. Well organized, well thought out projects will receive the highest consideration.
- Degree to which the project has educational impact. Projects that increase a user’s understanding of and participation in proper materials management will receive the highest consideration.
- Degree to which the project will result in measurable waste reduction and the degree to which progress will be measured and tracked. Applications must indicate the organization’s goals of waste reduction and how progress will be measured.
- Degree to which the organization justifies the need for funding and the degree to which costs are reasonable and justified.
- Degree to which the applicant has managed past applications/projects and adherence to grant guidelines.
- Degree to which the project compliments the District’s goals and Solid Waste Management Plan.
For more information, visit Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District.
