Investment and Innovation grants are intended to build lasting, private-sector and nonprofit-sector capacity to reduce waste through reuse, recycling, composting or energy creation from discarded materials in the Metro region. They seek to both strengthen local efforts to reduce the amount and toxicity of waste while generating positive benefits for communities of color and other communities that have historically not benefitted from the garbage and recycling system. Capital grants are awarded to stimulate investment by private businesses and nonprofit organizations to create, expand, preserve and broaden efforts to reduce impacts throughout a product’s life cycle. They are typically for infrastructure upgrades and equipment, and require the applicant to provide a match of at least 100 percent of the grant amount. Nine capital projects received funding from Metro’s Investment and Innovation program in 2019-20, for a total Metro investment of $5,597,496, which will leverage an additional $6,699,496 in matching funds provided by the grant recipients. The 2019-20 Investment and Innovation capital grant recipients are:

Grant amount: $311,500 Match amount: $311,500 Total amount: $623,000

City of Roses Disposal & Recycling will install an elevated sort line to replace the existing floor sort process for increased dry waste recovery and improved working conditions. Recovery rate of dry waste is expected to increase from 50 percent to 60 percent. Grant funds will be used for construction, equipment (processing line, wire granulator and pre-shredder) and professional services.

Grant amount: $684,496 Match amount: $684,496 Total amount: $1,368,992

Denton Plastics will install an Eco-Line, a series of four new pieces of equipment that will expand capacity and improve performance for additional processing of plastics into feedstock for manufacturers. This project targets material such as used plastic containers from grocery stores, restaurants and nurseries that are currently too dirty to process and would otherwise be discarded. Denton estimates the Eco-Line will process 4,680 to 6,240 tons of material each year that would otherwise go to a landfill. Grant funds will be used for equipment, construction, materials and professional services.

Grant amount: $310,000 Match amount: $312,000 Total amount: $622,000

Environmental Fibers International will i nstall new equipment to recover more than 65 percent of the “unders,” the small materials that fall through sort screens and are currently landfilled (shredded paper, small paper scraps, plastic pieces, and small metals). EFI estimates it will be able to recycle 160 tons of mixed paper and containers per month as a result. Grant funds will be used for equipment, materials and supplies and professional services.

Grant amount: $750,000 Match amount: $750,000 Total amount: $1,500,000

GreenWay Recycling will b uild an advanced dry-waste recovery system with new equipment and processes to increase recovery of primarily construction and demolition materials. GreenWay’s overall recovery rate is projected to increase from 41 percent to 56 percent, and workplace conditions will improve by separating workers from processing machinery (removing dust and noise hazards). Grant funds will be used for a conveyor, ballistic sorter, and terminator shedder, and a small portion of the budget is allocated to diversity, equity and inclusion consulting services provided by Constructing Hope.

Grant amount: $750,000 Match amount: $750,000 Total amount: $1,500,000

Grimm’s Fuel Company will m odernize its compost system from static piles to aerated static pile composting to reduce odors and increase yard debris recycling capacity by 50 to 60 percent. The grant is for Phase II of a larger project, and includes land-clearing, building a bulkhead wall, laying aeration and drainage pipes, pouring the concrete floor, and installing blowers, dampers, bio-filters and related process control devices. Grant funds will also be used for a bucket loader to accommodate the additional movement of material with the new compost system.

Grant amount: $750,000 Match amount: $1,850,000 Total amount: $2,600,000

Pioneer Recycling Services will i nstall optical sorters on existing sort lines to remove contaminants (plastic, metal and trash) and produce higher quality paper bales than human sorters can produce. This equipment will allow Pioneer to make higher quality bales that will be better suited for recycling and meet stringent end-market quality specifications. Grant funds will be used for the optical sorters and related construction, materials and supply costs.

Grant amount: $750,000 Match amount: $750,000 Total amount: $1,500,000

Recology Oregon Compost will c reate two mass beds for active composting, replacing six small beds, and expand the existing cure pad. The project is anticipated to increase processing capacity of residential and commercial food scraps and yard debris by 44,000 tons per year. Grant funds will be used for costs of construction, permitting, equipment, materials and supplies and professional services.

Grant amount: $750,000 Match amount: $750,000 Total amount: $1,500,000

Recology Oregon Compost will create two mass beds for active composting and expand the existing cure pad. The project is anticipated to increase processing capacity of residential food scraps and yard debris by 24,000 tons per year. Additionally, Recology will improve stormwater and leachate infrastructure, and implement operational changes to improve traffic flow onsite. Grant funds will be used for construction, equipment and professional services.

Grant amount: $541,500 Match amount: $541,500 Total amount: $1,083,000

Urban Gypsum will install new equipment that will pelletize and package recycled drywall powder to produce a gypsum product for agricultural use. Urban Gypsum will be able to process at least 66,875 tons of drywall annually. As part of the project, Urban Gypsum has committed to working with Constructing Hope for diversity, equity and inclusion consulting services. Grant funds will be used for construction costs and to purchase processing and storage equipment, and a bagging system.

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