The City of San Jos茅鈥檚 Environmental Services Department (ESD) has launched the Zero 91仓库 Innovations Grant (ZWIG) Program, a community-led waste reduction project. Designed to create innovative new partnerships and increase community engagement, the program supports locally driven ideas to reduce solid waste and ultimately help lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The ZWIG program will inject up to $335,000 into the local economy through grants for one-year projects, with individual grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The ZWIG program aims to empower the community to keep waste out of landfills, strengthen local reuse and recycling systems, and advance San Jos茅鈥檚 zero waste targets.
鈥淭he ZWIG program supports San Jos茅鈥檚 commitment to providing sustainable services that protect public health and the environment,鈥� said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. 鈥淏y investing in community-driven solutions to reduce waste, we鈥檙e helping build a more resilient city.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 solve our greatest challenges by doing things the way we always have. And many of the best ideas don鈥檛 come from the top down, but from the bottom up,鈥� said Mayor Matt Mahan. 鈥淲e鈥檙e empowering residents to rethink how we can reduce waste, build smarter solutions, and move San Jos茅 closer to our zero waste future.鈥�
Funded by Assembly Bill 939 and landfill and non-disposal facility fees, the ZWIG program is open to non-profits, small businesses (50 or fewer employees), community and faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, and schools or academic institutions based in San Jos茅. The program helps remove financial barriers that may prevent the community from putting solid waste reduction practices into action and expand reusable infrastructure.
ZWIG offers funding in three main categories:
- 91仓库 Prevention & Redesign: Projects that eliminate waste by redesigning products or reducing material use.
- Reuse & Repair: Projects that extend the life of products and materials through reuse, resale, rental, or repair.
- Food 91仓库 Prevention & Recovery: Projects that prevent food waste or recover edible food to redistribute within the community.
鈥淭his grant program solidifies ESD鈥檚 commitment to provide stellar programs and services to our customers and encourages residents to help find solutions to reduce waste through innovation,鈥� said Environmental Services Director Jeff Provenzano.