EPA Awards Kansas City $5 Million to Expand Composting and Food Rescue

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mayor Quinton Lucas announced today that Kansas City has been awarded a $5 million Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand the City's organic waste collection and food rescue programs.

The federal investment will fund electric collection vehicles, charging infrastructure, community composting equipment, and food recovery systems, building on Kansas City's existing composting and food rescue initiatives.

"Kansas City has long been committed to environmental sustainability, and this $5 million federal investment will significantly expand our composting and organic waste diversion efforts," said Mayor Lucas. We've built strong programs to reduce food waste, and this funding allows us to take those initiatives to the next level. We're grateful to the EPA for recognizing our work and helping us continue building a more sustainable future for our residents."

The expanded composting program is projected to divert more than 10,000 tons of organic waste from landfills annually and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 6,796 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, equal to removing 1,443 passenger vehicles from the road. The program will increase the number of meals provided to food-insecure families from 100,000 to 125,000 annually through enhanced food rescue partnerships and improve air quality by replacing diesel collection vehicles with zero-emission electric trucks.

With funding from EPA the City will purchase four electric packer trucks and two electric box trucks for composting and recycling collection, along with four electric cold storage trucks to support food rescue operations by partner organizations. The grant also funds electric vehicle charging infrastructure, smart bins and collection containers for City facilities and events, food recovery equipment, including a digester and dehydrators, and a dedicated Waste & Materials Coordinator position to oversee program implementation and community outreach.

Kansas City has developed a comprehensive approach to organic waste management through residential curbside composting service, public compost drop-off locations, and partnerships with local organizations, including Pete's Garden and Kanbe's Markets. These partner organizations work with local restaurants, caterers, and food service operations to safely redirect surplus food to families in need. In 2023, these organizations provided over 100,000 meals to local families and redirected more than 500,000 pounds of produce from landfills. The EPA's SWIFR (or use Solid Waste Infrastructure Recycling) grant will expand these efforts by enhancing infrastructure, increasing capacity, and extending services to underserved communities, with additional compost drop-off sites planned for neighborhoods that currently lack access.

Beginning with the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches hosted in Kansas City, the new electric vehicle fleet will enable comprehensive waste diversion at major City-sponsored events. Electric golf carts will collect waste throughout parks and event spaces, while electric box trucks will transport recycling and composting bins to and from venues. When not supporting events, the vehicles will serve ongoing collection operations at City facilities and public compost sites.

The investment advances goals outlined in Kansas City's 2022 Climate Protection & Resiliency Plan, including diverting organic waste from landfills through composting and supporting local food rescue efforts.

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