ecomaine

Maine's Leader in Sustainable Waste Management

eco-Impact Grants

Our annual eco-Impact Grants provide project-specific funds to schools and educational organizations to support sustainable waste management efforts. Qualified projects should be new or expanding, and involve students and educators in waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, or other waste diversion strategies.  

Formerly known as School Waste Diversion Grants, past recipients have launched school-wide composting programs, replaced single-use cafeteria ware with reusable alternatives, and expanded recycling access paired with student-led education campaigns. Since the program’s launch, these grants have given students across the state a direct hand in solving real problems in their own schools and communities. In the process, they’ve helped build habits of stewardship that extend well beyond the classroom. 

Eligibility

eco-Impact Grants are open to schools and educational organizations serving students who live in an ecomaine community. Reference our list of communities to confirm your eligibility.

Grants for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on August 18th, 2026. Please join our email list to be notified when the guidelines and application details are released. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ecomaine.org.

Join Our Newsletter

 

Guidelines

We recommend reading the full grant guidelines before starting your submission. Ecomaine will award grants of up to $7,500 per project. Before applying, make sure you can commit to the project timeline, the mid-year and closing reporting requirements, preparing a project budget, and to securing sign-off from your school or organizational administration to accept funds.

 

Congratulations to our 2025-2026 Grantees!

Loader image

Dayton is launching a new composting program to reduce food waste, and adding new recycling bins across the school to further sustainability efforts. 

Falmouth Middle School is bringing their community together to plan a future upcycling event. They’re also developing a campaign to reduce litter across outdoor spaces, and expanding recycling and composting systems throughout the school. 

Freeport High School is switching from disposable to reusable foodware, and developing a cafeteria sorting station to help reduce waste and model sustainable practices for the school community. 

Greely Middle School is planning to reduce paper towel use by installing two hand driers in highly trafficked bathrooms. A student led “Green Team” will be performing waste audits before and after installation as part of a pilot project and educational opportunity. 

Loranger Memorial School is switching to compostable serveware to increase waste diversion efforts. The school has already diverted over 6 tons of food waste since establishing their composting program in fall 2024.

Lyseth Elementary School is installing three new rain barrels to reduce water use and support sustainable gardening projects across the school.

North Haven School is building a new student-led sustainability program to introduce composting, upcycling, and hard-to-recycle material collections.

The team at Roots Academy is creating an outdoor message board, expanding their reusable towel and recycling systems, switching to reusable utensils, and revamping their rain barrel setup.

STRIVE is looking forward to reducing food waste through a Garbage to Garden subscription, and plans to use compost to build soil for raised garden beds in the spring.

Past Grant Projects

Composting and Recycled Art at STRIVE TOPS
STRIVE - South Portland
STRIVE TOPS students explored composting, gardening, and creating art from recycled materials. They turned recycled materials into an art exhibition, and learned about gardening and marketing while building raised beds - now planting and harvesting outside.
Recycling Green Team at North Haven Community School
North Haven Community School - North Haven
North Haven Community School used their grant to expand their garden and composting program, add visible recycling bins throughout the building, and support student leadership by having high schoolers mentor younger students in the school-wide green team.
Compostable Cafeteria at Loranger Memorial School
Loranger Middle School - Old Orchard Beach
Loranger Memorial School used grant funding to shift their cafeteria to compostable utensils and serveware, building on a composting program that has diverted more than six tons of food waste since fall 2024. They've also woven composting into their curriculum through related classroom projects and activities.
Waste Stations at Cape Elizabeth Middle School
Cape Elizabeth Middle School - Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth Middle School constructed detailed waste stations to divert food waste and support composting in their cafeteria. They plan to use the remaining funds to replicate the setup in the high school and elementary school, supporting their efforts with in-class education.
Students at Dayton Consolidated School were involved in the composting program, creating posters to highlight their efforts
Composting at Dayton Consolidated School
Dayton Consolidated School - Dayton
Dayton Consolidated School launched a composting program focused on properly disposing of leftover food waste, with strong buy-in from students and staff. They've partnered with a local farm to recycle the material, and students are taking the lead on the initiative.
Compostable Utensils at Ocean Avenue Elementary
Ocean Avenue Elementary - Portland
Ocean Avenue Elementary utilized their funds to replace plastic utensils with compostables in their cafeteria. To complement their efforts, they have also introduced education on the importance of reducing plastic in the waste stream, holding school-wide community meetings.
Children learning about composting in Vinalhaven, as a part of a program with Ecomaine
Vermicomposting at Vinalhaven School
Vinalhaven School - Vinalhaven
Students brought science out of the classroom and into the real world, with flourishing results. With their grant funding, Vinalhaven installed a garden for students in per-K though fifth grade. They enriched their garden by creating compost, studying worms, and applying the science of vermicomposting.
Composting & Recycling at Westbrook Middle School
Westbrook Middle School - Westbrook
Students facilitated on-site composting and recycling in their school cafeteria, with the Student Council initiating education and outreach efforts. The program diverted an average of 350lbs of food waste per week. Their school-wide paper recycling program diverted an additional 100lbs per week on average.