Waste-Free Communities Matching Grant

Woman sewing a piece of fabric on a sewing machine during a textile mending and upcycling class.

Waste-Free Communities Matching Grant Ends

Funding for the Waste-Free Communities Matching Grant has ended, and the program has now concluded. We want to thank all the applicants over the years who have shown the importance of waste prevention and the creativity and innovation needed to reach our waste reduction goals. Seattle Public Utilities’ Waste-Free Communities Matching Grant launched in 2018, and since then we have funded eight grant cycles supporting community-initiated and community-led waste prevention projects.

Waste prevention means creating less waste by buying and using less, using reusable items, and sharing or donating items so others can use them. When we prevent waste, we help the environment, protect public health, build community, and save money.

Beginning in 2025, Waste-Free Grants shifted to focus on textile waste. Textile recycling is challenging and not widely available yet, so most textile waste ends up in the landfill. Textile waste includes unused, unwanted, or discarded textile materials from the production, use, and disposal of products. Examples of products made from textiles include clothing, shoes, furniture upholstery, carpet, rugs, curtains, bedding, towels, bags, and tents.

2026 Waste‑Free Community Matching Grants Recipients. 

Seattle Public Utilities is investing in community creativity and care through its 2026 Waste‑Free Community Matching Grants, supporting three organizations that are transforming textile waste into opportunity.  

  • CareMakers Collective is building new systems to recover and rework retired hotel linens, transforming them into new products while providing paid training and employment for women entering the manufacturing workforce.
  • Refugee Artisan Initiative is launching a closed-loop model with Woodland Park Zoo and local sports partners to upcycle retired uniforms and jerseys into marketable goods.
  • Transcend is scaling a citywide reuse system that will divert thousands of pounds of textile waste while training and employing women across sorting, repair, and production

Together, the three projects will prevent more than 25,000 pounds of textile waste and help build a more equitable circular economy for Seattle. Read and share this At Your Service blog about the recipients of the Waste-Free Community Matching Grants.

Use the sidebar to learn about additional funding opportunities and sign up for the email list to stay informed about upcoming SPU opportunities.

Public Utilities

Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO
Address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 4900, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34018, Seattle, WA, 98124-5177
Phone: (206) 684-3000
SPUCustomerService@seattle.gov

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Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is comprised of three major direct-service providing utilities: the Water Utility, the Drainage and Wastewater Utility, and the Solid Waste Utility.