Community Innovation Fund (CIF) Projects

Since it's inception in 2020, the Rethink Waste Project's Community Innovation Fund has awarded more than $94K to 35 projects that reduce waste in Deschutes County.

Applications are now open for the 2025 funding cycle! See the CIF page for more info or apply.

We want to give a big thanks to our partners – Deschutes County Solid Waste and City of Bend – with additional support from Cascade Disposal and Republic Services that make CIF possible.

Browse through the projects below to see the wide-range of applicants, ideas, and impacts. You can filter with the options below, or click a project for more details.

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Bend Council on Aging – Congregate Dining Dishware

Council on Aging
Three older people laughing sitting in a dining hall

Council on Aging will replace breakable dishware with new durable dishware, with the goal of utilizing dishware that lasts more than six months.

2023
cost-500-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete

Reusables for Bend-La Pine Schools’ Events

Bend-La Pine Schools
Students and adults at an event in a school cafeteria

Bend-La Pine Schools will implement reusable dishware kits in each school to be used for all special events reducing single-use waste.

2023
cost-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-underway

Agricultural Packaging Repurposing Program

Central Oregon Locavore
A storage shed with a sign that reads: "Locavore Agricultural Packaging Recycle Program in collaboration with The Environmental Center"

Central Oregon Locavore will set up an outdoor storage shed to decrease the number of waxed produce boxes that are going to the landfill, while simultaneously saving local farmers and ranchers significant expenses.

2023
cost-2kmaterial-mixedprogress-complete

LCA Community Reusable Dishware

Latino Community Association
Youth and adults sitting at tables with green reusable plates in a community room

Latino Community Association used the Community Innovation Fund in 2022 to purchase reusable food and drinkware for their Community Room. The space gets rented at least 3x a week for events where food and drink is served and saves about 100-200 items of related single-use waste for each event.

2022
cost-500-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete

Too Good to be Trub

Fields Farm and Spider City Brewing
5-gallon buckets next to a mound of trube at Fields Farm

Fields Farm teamed up with Spider City Brewing to divert the brewery’s trub, using it as compost or mulch.

2022
cost-under-500material-foodprogress-complete

RAD Plarn Plant Pots!

Reuse All Detritus LLC
A plant outside in a large pot made from plastic bags.

RAD (Reduce All Detritus) purchased a large spinning wheel and other tools and supplies to create large pots from plastic bags and bottles.

2022
cost-500-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete

A Garden Compost with Worms

COIC
A subpod garden compost with herb plants inside a room with books on a shelf behind it

COIC Skills Lab implemented a composting project using a SubPod vermiculture station with worms, diverting 500 pounds of waste each year and reaching and educating 150+ youth and 25+ staff in the process.

2022
cost-500-2kmaterial-foodprogress-complete

SOSS (Super Outdoor Sorting Signage) at COCC

COCC
Trash and recycling dumpsters and carts with large metal signage outside COCC's Wickiup residence hall

COCC developed and installed permanent waste sorting signage outside of the Wickiup Residence Hall, and also created portable sorting signage for events around the residence hall.

2022
cost-500-2kmaterial-mixedprogress-complete

OSU-Cascades Composts

OSU-Cascades
Outdoor bins, some full of compost or yard waste

OSU-Cascades Sustainability Club purchased composters to convert their yard and food waste to compost.

2021
cost-500-2kmaterial-foodprogress-complete

Desert Sky Montessori’s Recycling Hut

Desert Sky Montessori
A small wooden hut painted with a landscape mural

Desert Sky Montessori built and developed a Recycling Hut, a collection facility made from upcycled materials to collect various materials not accepted in curbside carts.

2021
cost-500-2kmaterial-mixedprogress-complete

Locavore’s Bulk Container Program

Central Oregon Locavore
A variety of bulk containers with different nuts and other goods with a Locavore Container Reuse Sign below it

Central Oregon Locavore launched a Container Reuse Program reusing glass jars and plastic containers for bulk purchases, eliminating single-use plastic tubs and diverting approximately 600 plastic containers annually.

2021
cost-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete

Reusable Bag Program for Meals on Wheels

Council on Aging of Central Oregon
reusable vinyl tote bag with council on aging of central oregon logo

Council on Aging of Central Oregon implemented reusable bags for their Meals on Wheels community-based food delivery program for aging adults, saving up to 525 pounds of plastic bag waste per month!

2020
cost-500-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete

COCC Recycling Education Program

Central Oregon Community College
recycling sorting station in a COCC campus building

COCC designed and installed signage across campus to reduce recycling contamination and increase diversion of recyclables from the landfill, with a pilot of new recycling stations in key areas of campus, followed by a roll-out to other areas of campus.

2020
cost-500-2kmaterial-mixedprogress-complete

Soul, Community, Planet, Compost

SCP (Soul, Community, Planet) Hotel
A variety of compost and food waste bins

SCP (Soul, Community, Planet) Hotel in Redmond implemented an on-site composting program.

2020
cost-under-500material-foodprogress-complete

Eat-in with Reusables at Taco Del Mar

Taco Del Mar: Bend and Redmond
A tray of food featuring chips and salsa and mexican food in a ceramic reusable bowl

Taco Del Mar in Bend and Remond replaced single-use disposable foodware and utensils with reusables for all eat-in diners.

2020
cost-500-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete

Rethink Your Drink

Sunriver Owners Association
Reusable ceramic coffee mug, in front of a Rethink Your Drink sign, next to self-serve coffee airpots

Sunriver Owners Association implemented a “Rethink your Drink” campaign, eliminating all single-use styrofoam coffee cups and offering only re-usable ceramic mugs for coffee, eliminating 18,250 styrofoam cups per year and raising awareness for simple sustainable choices in daily life.

2020
cost-500-2kmaterial-plasticprogress-complete
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