EGLE’s Food Waste Road Map provides Michigan communities with ways to advance food waste reduction, grants available

Since the release of the Food Waste Reduction Road Map in 2023, Michigan communities and organizations have implemented programs to deal with food loss and waste.

The Michigan Food Waste Reduction Road Map was established by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to develop a statewide strategy for reducing food loss and waste across Michigan's food system. To advance the MI Healthy Climate Plan goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030, EGLE initiated and funded the development of the road map through a grant awarded to the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum. Working in partnership with Make Food Not Waste and other state and national organizations, the initiative engaged stakeholders from across the food system to develop a collaborative, actionable road map for achieving this statewide goal.

With as much as 1.5 million tons of food waste disposed of in Michigan annually, it’s an opportunity to promote less wasteful, money-saving practices among farms, manufacturers, retailers, foodservice and other business and institutional stakeholders in the food system. It’s also a way to retain value through reuse options, donation strategies or secondary markets.

One way Michigan communities can help meet the food waste reduction goals is through implementing local programs funded by grants.

EGLE recently announced Requests for Proposal for Food Rescue and Michigan Organics Infrastructure grants.

The grants will support Governor Whitmer’s climate priorities by supplementing efforts to increase the statewide recycling rate, increase food rescue, and help ensure that communities that have historically had limited access to these types of resources can benefit from the program.

Michigan Food Rescue Grants

$3 million will be available as matching, reimbursement-based grants to support Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s climate priorities.

Michigan Food Rescue Grants specifically target projects that:

• Increase food rescue and food donation efforts across Michigan.
• Increase collection and processing capacity of food rescue or food upcycling operations.
• Increase access for food surplus generating businesses and organizations to donate or divert surplus, edible food.
• Increase participation among food surplus generating businesses and organizations in donation or diversion of surplus, edible food.

Fundable projects include but are not limited to the implementation of:

• Food rescue collection vehicles;
• Facility infrastructure such as cold storage, warehouse equipment, storage equipment, facility construction, other additional equipment, or select site improvements to increase food rescue or food donation capacity;
• Processing infrastructure;
• One-time technology expenses; and
• Related training costs for eligible entities.

The deadline for the Food Rescue Grant RFPs is Aug. 14.

View the RFP at Michigan.gov/MiRecycles.

Applicants are highly encouraged to discuss potential projects with your respective Recycling Program Staff.

Organics Infrastructure Grants

$2 million dollars will be available as matching, reimbursement-based grants to support Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s climate priorities.

Michigan Organics Infrastructure Grants specifically target projects that:

• Increase access to food waste/food scrap collection and processing infrastructure  and help ensure that communities that have historically had limited access to these types of resources can benefit from the program.
• Increase participation rate in existing food waste/food scrap composting and anaerobic digestion programs.

Fundable projects include but are not limited to:

The implementation of curbside food waste carts, new or improved drop-off food waste collection, public space food waste collection containers, school food waste collection or processing projects, food waste collection vehicles, multi-family food waste collection projects, and food waste processing projects.

Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, tribal governments, school districts, universities/colleges, local health departments, regional planning agencies, cities, villages, townships, charter townships, counties, municipal solid waste authorities, businesses, corporations, and private sector entities located in Michigan.

The deadline for the Organics Infrastructure Grant RFPs is August 14.

View the RFP at Michigan.gov/MiRecycles.

For more information about the RFP, please contact Aubree Carlisle, food rescue specialist, at CarlisleA3@Michigan.gov.