Housed within DEQ’s Materials Management Program, the Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine grant program has been funding community projects since the early 90’s. With a dedicated funding area for each grant cycle, the 2026 cycle will select projects that reduce the harmful environmental and human-health impacts of toxic substances found in building materials. A total of $2 million is available for eligible applicants and each award can range from $25,000 to $225,000.
GreenState podcast co-hosts Dylan Darling and Carisma Sanchez recently chatted with Grants Coordinator, Haley Miller, to explore some of the goals of the 2026 grant cycle, application tips, and the impacts funds are having on grantees.
“We want to hear from applicants all around the state. So often a lot of things in Oregon get focused on Metro, but there’s so many other communities and places around the state that can benefit from a program like this,” shared Haley.
Ep 33. Road to Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine Grant
Posted: March. 23, 2026
Guest: Haley Miller
Cohosts: Dylan Darling, Carisma Sanchez
The episode also included a visit to Garten Services, Inc. who was funded through the program in 2024. Garten is a non-profit located in Salem, Oregon, who provides e-recycling for communities and organizations across the Willamette Valley. Cameron Stewart, COO at Garten shared some of the employee wellbeing and productivity benefits the organization is seeing as a result of receiving the grant, “Four people work in the 2,200 square foot lab and they can refurbish 100 or so laptops in a day depending on what’s wrong with the computers. It’s a lot cleaner. It’s a lot nicer of a workspace, and a lot less loud. We had wooden tables that were built in house versus what we have now.”
The application window for the grant program opened this week and will be accepting pre-applications through Thursday, April 30 by 4 p.m. PDT. Not sure if you’re eligible? Visit the DEQ website to learn more or register for an upcoming information session.
Listen to the podcast on: SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SHOW NOTES
- Introduction
- Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine grants overview [2:10]
- “Upstream” projects meaning [3:15]
- Applications open March 23-April 30, 2026 [7:10]
- Focus this cycle – built environment [8:10]
- Visit to Garten Services [12:10]
- Lab improvements thanks to grant [16:25]
- Advice to future applicants [18:25]
- DEQ tips to applicants [20:15]
- Email address is RRRgrants@deq.oregon.gov [20:40]
- Eligible entities [22:15]
- Wrap-up [23:50]
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