Lauren Lewandowski
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has awarded Grandma’s Marathon grant funding as part of the MPCA’s Waste Reduction and Reuse Grants. Through this program, Grandma’s Marathon will receive $91,113.90 in funds to help the event industry in Duluth become more sustainable by reducing the reliance on single-use items across all aspects of the planning and execution process. The marathon currently maintains a small lending library of equipment and supplies and will use the grant to expand this library and improve its inventory management.
This project, along with seven others across the state, will help will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, reduce the demand for resources, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
In the last 40 years, Minnesota has seen a gradual transformation from a system solely designed to manage solid waste to one that more holistically recognizes the complete life cycle of materials and their climate, environmental, and human health impacts. According to the U.S. EPA, roughly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are associated with the production, transportation, use, and disposal of goods; this highlights how critical it is to prioritize reduction and reuse strategies before products and materials are seen as a waste to be managed through recycling or disposal.
To learn more about this grant program and view a complete list of recipients/ funded projects and total project costs, please visit: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/news-and-stories/mpca-grants-1-million-for-waste-reduction-reuse
