Rhode Island School Recycling Project

What Rhode Island School Recycling Project does

The Rhode Island School Recycling Project (RISRP, d/b/a RI Recycling Club, formerly RI School Recycling Club) is a Rhode Island-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 to improve recycling and food-waste outcomes in the state's K-12 public schools. The organization operates the Get Food Smart, RI program, currently active in 70+ schools with stated targets of half of all Rhode Island schools by 2027 and all Rhode Island schools by 2030, aligned with EPA, USDA, and UN 50% food-waste-reduction goals. Its customer base is exclusively Rhode Island public elementary, middle, and high schools, with named outcomes including an 84% cafeteria waste reduction at Hope Elementary and 13.6 tons of food waste diverted at William D'Abate Elementary.

RISRP's core technology consists of a proprietary food-waste estimation dataset derived from 15 audits conducted across three Rhode Island public school districts (urban, suburban, and rural), which underpins the School Food Waste Estimator (per-student waste figures of 47 lbs elementary, 39.3 lbs middle, 15.6 lbs high school annually), a Food Waste Dashboard for tracking prevented/recovered/diverted waste, a Lunchroom Sorting Game for student education, and a downloadable Toolkit. The Get Food Smart, RI program combines these digital tools with physical cafeteria sorting stations, Green Team facilitation, hands-on training, equipment donations such as refrigerators for food recovery, and connections to regional composting partners.

The organization is grant-funded and provides all program services, tools, and facilitation free of charge to participating schools. Funding sources include two EPA Healthy Communities Grants, two USDA Grants, a 2019 RI Attorney General's Office grant that financed the foundational audit work, and support from 11th Hour Racing and Clean Water Action. Distribution is delivered through direct on-site facilitation by staff and partner referrals via the RI Department of Environmental Management, the RI Resource Recovery Corporation, and the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD), the last of which extends reach into Newport and Bristol counties. Governance is provided by a volunteer board and a core team of roughly seven employees supplemented by named facilitators and coordinators serving across the state.

Name

Rhode Island School Recycling Project

Legal name

RI School Recycling Project

Website

https://rirecyclingclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rhode Island School Recycling Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the Get Food Smart, RI program to reduce food waste in Rhode Island public schools through cafeteria sorting stations, educational tools, and composting partnerships, currently active in 70+ schools statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Environmental Sustainability Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Community Food Services (624210), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Waste Reduction & Diversion Services (Donation, Animal Feed, Source Reduction Programs) (EUAIAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meal Program Compliance & Administration (NSLP/SBP, Reimbursements) (EDAEAEAC), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

Keywords

• School food waste reduction
• School recycling programs
• Sustainability education
• Food waste audits
• School composting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rhode Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: RISRP operates as a non-profit supported primarily through grants including: US EPA Healthy Communities Grants, RI Attorney General's Office grant (2019), two USDA Grants, 11th Hour Racing Grant Program, and Clean Water Action recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

RISRP provides free food waste reduction programs and educational resources to Rhode Island public schools through its Get Food Smart, RI initiative. The organization delivers on-site facilitation, Green Team training, cafeteria sorting station setup, composting and food donation connections, and proprietary data tools including a School Food Waste Estimator and Food Waste Dashboard. All services are provided at no cost to participating schools.

Product overview

The Rhode Island School Recycling Project (RISRP) operates as a unified school food waste reduction program centered on the 'Get Food Smart, RI' initiative. The program comprises several integrated components: the School Food Waste Estimator tool that helps schools measure their food waste output, the Lunchroom Sorting Game for student education, a free Toolkit with implementation resources, and physical Cafeteria Sorting Stations. Schools also receive access to a Food Waste Dashboard for tracking progress. The program connects schools with composting partners and food donation services, offering a comprehensive approach to reducing, recovering, and diverting food waste from Rhode Island's landfill.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Get Food Smart, RI Program A comprehensive school food waste reduction initiative that provides on-site facilitation, training, cafeteria sorting stations, Green Team assembly, and connections to composting and food donation services. Aims to reduce school food waste by 50% by 2030.
• School Food Waste Estimator A metrics tool that estimates the amount of food waste a school produces based on enrollment data and food waste audits conducted across Rhode Island public school districts. It measures both total food waste and recoverable food, including unopened milk, yogurt, cheese, granola bars, and untouched fruit, with separate per-student estimates for elementary (47 lbs./student/year), middle (39.3 lbs./student/year), and high school (15.6 lbs./student/year).
• Lunchroom Sorting Game

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.8 tons of food wasted per week in RI public schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rhode Island Resource Recovery CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Original founding partner in 2001 alongside RI Department of Environmental Management. Handles trash and recycling for the entire state and provides school presentations on Food Waste Prevention, tours of Materials Recycling Facility and landfill.
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Founding partner in 2001 and ongoing partner in Get Food Smart, RI project. Incorporates RI Food Strategy to improve local food development, support programs to eliminate food insecurity, and reduce food waste. Staff includes Michele McCaughey and Alyson Brunelli who lead environmental protection in food waste diversion.
• Remix Organics Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2013, works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and optimize organic waste transport. Partners with regional farms and anaerobic digesters to create soil amendments and renewable energy. L3C company with social mission to fight climate change.
• Center for Eco Technology (CET)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20 years of experience in food waste solutions, implemented some of the first composting programs in the country. Supports RISRP mission by spotlighting schools' successes in diverting, recovering, and reducing food waste.
• Environmental Council of Rhode Island Education FundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated in 1991 to sponsor research and education. Mission: Enhancing Long-Term Stewardship of Rhode Island's Natural Resources through materials and programs educating citizens about environmental health and natural resource protection. Supported RISRP recycling initiatives for almost two decades.
• Bootstrap CompostcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompost pickup service operating in Boston, Providence, and Worcester since 2011. Partners with local farms and diverts thousands of pounds of organic material from landfills daily. Hauls food scraps from RI schools and conducts 'How to Compost' workshops for student Green Teams.
• Black Earth CompostminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood scrap collection and composting company in Eastern MA and RI. Takes compostables from incinerators/landfills and composts material for customers and garden centers. Ready to work with RI schools to haul food scraps from Central Landfill.
• Earth Care FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial composting facility in Charlestown, RI operating since 1977. Second-generation farm owned by Jane Merner Senecal. Welcomes school groups to demonstrate composting best practices and host gardening activities.
• Epic RenewalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks to build a zero-waste world through waste reduction, responsible materials management, and food waste recovery. Offers composting services, zero-waste events, refill shop, and educational programming.
• Providence Garden WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban home composting and gardening business focused on installation, training, and technical support for composters and gardeners. Advocates for building healthy families and communities through composting and gardening.
• Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Stella Piasecki who serves as Compost Program Coordinator at ERICD while also working as RISRP Facilitator. Brings Get Food Smart Program to schools in Newport and Bristol counties. ERICD runs the first three municipal curbside composting programs in the state.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for EcoTechnology (CET): Nonprofit with 20+ years of food waste solutions experience that implements commercial composting and food waste diversion programs. Already a listed partner of RISRP and serves as a comparable practitioner in the school/organic waste space.
• ReFED: National nonprofit multi-stakeholder organization focused on reducing food waste across the U.S. value chain. Operates at a much broader (policy, industry, capital) level but addresses the same underlying food waste problem as RISRP.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) - Save The Food: Major environmental nonprofit with a dedicated Save The Food initiative targeting consumer and institutional food waste reduction. Operates at a national advocacy level but shares the food waste reduction mission with RISRP.

Direct peers

• EcoRise: Nonprofit that provides K-12 sustainability curriculum, teacher training, and student-led project grants. Comparable on school-based sustainability education delivery and integration with STEM curriculum.
• Green Schools National Network: Nonprofit that supports K-12 schools in adopting sustainability practices across curriculum, operations, and culture. Comparable on school sustainability focus and reliance on educator engagement.
• Food Recovery Network: Student-led nonprofit that recovers surplus food from college and K-12 dining facilities and donates it to communities in need. Directly overlaps RISRP's food donation/recovery component and school-channel delivery.
• FoodCorps: National nonprofit that places service members in K-12 schools to teach food systems, nutrition, and food waste reduction. Highly comparable on mission, school-based delivery model, and reliance on grant/foundation funding.

Emerging players

• World Wildlife Fund - Food Waste Warriors: WWF's K-12 food waste reduction and school cafeteria program. Comparable as a school-focused food waste program with national footprint, though embedded in a much larger environmental organization.

Others

• Feeding America: National nonprofit food bank network that receives donations for redistribution to food-insecure households. Functions as a downstream food recovery partner similar to the recipients of RISRP's donation programs.
• Hungry Harvest: Food recovery and produce delivery company that rescues surplus food and addresses food insecurity. Comparable on the food recovery/donation value chain that RISRP supports through its school programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoolrecyclingproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhodeislandschoolrecycleingproject

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles34 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island School Recycling Project