What ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF CANADA does

Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, focused on advancing sustainable materials management through scientific research, education, and data analysis. Founded in 1994 by early leaders of the National Solid Waste Management Association and established as an independent nonprofit in 1998, EREF operates programs across three strategic research pillars: greenhouse gas emissions, emerging contaminants (notably PFAS), and advancing materials reuse and recycling. Its core offerings include a Research Grants Program (awards ranging from $15,000 to over $500,000, averaging $160,000), a graduate Scholarship Program (doctoral awards up to $16,000/year and master's up to $10,000/year), and a Data Analysis Program that aggregates data from disparate sources including 350+ landfills for its annual MSW Landfill Tipping Fees report.

EREF's technology portfolio includes proprietary computational tools such as the SWICS Landfill Emissions Model (Excel-based), a Python-based Landfill Heat Balance Model with GUI, and an ETLF Knowledge Base chatbot, alongside a curated library of 115+ reports and over 1,500 PFAS-related articles. A Research Council of 50+ volunteer technical experts provides multi-tiered peer review of grant proposals.

EREF's business model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating. Funding flows from tax-deductible contributions, an annual charitable auction (raising $4M+ in 2026), the Fall Classic golf and networking event, and corporate sponsorships, with free distribution of most research outputs. The foundation's customer base spans waste industry operators and executives, academic researchers and graduate students, and federal, state, and local policymakers who use its nonpartisan data for benchmarking, capital planning, and sustainability policy development.

Name

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF CANADA

Legal name

Environmental Research & Education Foundation

Website

https://erefdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EREF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation that funds academic grants, awards graduate scholarships, and produces data and reports on sustainable materials management for the waste and recycling industry, policymakers, and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Research Foundation — Sustainable Materials Management

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Certified Compliance & Reporting Services (R2/e-Stewards, Audit, ESG) (BPALAIAL)

Keywords

• Sustainable materials management
• Solid waste research
• Landfill emissions analysis
• Waste industry research grants
• Graduate sustainability scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, companies, and organizations in the waste and recycling industry. The foundation states a goal of $50 million investment over 5 years to advance time-sensitive research.
2. Annual Charitable Auction: Annual fundraising auction that raised over $4 million in 2026. Industry leaders, companies, and supporters contribute through donated items, sponsorships, bidding, and direct giving.
3. Fall Classic & Networking Event: Annual golf tournament and networking event that serves as a signature gathering for industry leaders, with corporate sponsorships supporting foundation operations.
4. Research Reports and Publications: Free reports available for download with optional donation requests. Some specialized reports like Landfill Tip Fee Lists sold at $125.00.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EREF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research foundation that funds and conducts independent scientific research on sustainable materials management. It provides competitive research grants ($15,000–$500,000+) to academic institutions, scholarships to graduate students (up to $16,000/year doctoral), publishes free scientific reports and tipping fee analyses, and produces educational resources including webinars (Science Sessions) and online courses on waste, recycling, and circular economy topics.

Product overview

EREF operates as a nonprofit research foundation offering a portfolio of programs and resources for sustainable materials management. The core offerings include a Research Grants Program (funding institutions with awards ranging $15,000-$500,000+), a Scholarships Program (doctoral up to $16,000/year and master's up to $10,000/year), and a Data Analysis Program (aggregating data for policy analysis). These are complemented by educational resources including Science Sessions (free webinars) and Educational Courses across 7 focus areas. The organization produces a comprehensive Guides & Reports Library containing EREF Reports, Grant Reports, and SIMFLEX studies. Notable software tools include the SWICS Landfill Emissions Model (Excel-based) and Python-Based Landfill Heat Balance Model. Specialized research resources cover PFAS (1,500+ articles) and Elevated Temperature Landfills (ETLFs). The annual MSW Landfill Tipping Fees Analysis report provides benchmarking data from over 350 facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Grants Program Funding program providing grants to cutting-edge research institutions to address challenges in sustainable materials management. Grants range from $15,000 to over $500,000 with average awards of $160,000 and typical project durations of about 2 years, supporting the foundation's three strategic priorities (greenhouse gas emissions, emerging contaminants, and advancing materials circularity & recycling).
• Scholarships Program Graduate scholarship program supporting full-time master's and doctoral students pursuing research in solid waste management, with doctoral scholarships up to $16,000/year and master's scholarships up to $10,000/year. Includes named scholarships such as Carl J. Apicella, Detachable Container Association, and Fiessinger Doctoral.
• Data Analysis Program Program that aggregates data and policy information from multiple disparate sources to provide unbiased analyses for sustainable policies, track contaminants, and optimize resource management. Projects aggregate useful data, summarize and analyze policies, and evaluate resource management trends.
• Guides & Reports Library Library of unbiased, nonpartisan scientific and evidence-based resources including EREF Reports (44), Grant Reports (71), Project/Research Summaries (12), and SIMFLEX reports (4), covering topics such as landfill emissions, PFAS, methane, tipping fees, and composting. Filterable by type and topic and available as free PDF downloads.
• SWICS Landfill Emissions Model (LEM) Excel-based tool that uses site-specific operational parameters to calculate landfill gas emissions for regulatory and sustainability reporting. Developed through the Solid Waste Industry for Climate Solutions (SWICS) initiative and designed for landfill operators, sustainability teams, and regulators.
• Annual MSW Landfill Tipping Fees Analysis Annual data-driven report analyzing municipal solid waste landfill tipping fees based on data collected from over 350 landfills, detailing average tipping fees by region, landfill size, and ownership type. Foundation reports are available free for download with optional donation requests.
• PFAS Resources Database Curated catalog of over 1,500 data-driven PFAS-related articles and technical content organized by categories including consumer products, drinking water, environment, food, health & exposure, solid waste management, synthesis & detection, and treatment.
• Elevated Temperature Landfills (ETLF) Research Program Comprehensive research program studying landfills where internal temperatures rise significantly above normal operating ranges, including the ETLF Knowledge Base chatbot, monitoring tools, and prevention/management strategies for landfill operators and researchers.
• Educational Courses Online educational courses across 7 focus areas: waste collection, waste diversion, waste to energy, waste reduction, special wastes, landfills, and recycling, hosted at education.erefdn.org. Provides training for waste management professionals and students.
• Science Sessions Webinars Brief, interactive educational segments lasting no more than an hour, available at no cost, focused on EREF's three strategic research priorities: greenhouse gas emissions, emerging contaminants, and advancing materials circularity & recycling. Open to all.
• Python-Based Landfill Heat Balance Model Open-source computational tool designed to rapidly predict temperature dynamics within municipal solid waste landfills using a compartment-based heat balance approach with a graphical user interface.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $23 million invested in scientific research since 1995
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026EREF and SWANA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in February 2026 to advance research and education in waste and resource management. The partnership aims to leverage both organizations' expertise to address pressing challenges in sustainable materials management and support the industry's evidence-based decision-making needs.
• U.S. Composting CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEREF partnered with the U.S. Composting Council to conduct a national composting operations survey and evaluate the state of practice of composting in the U.S. The study determines accessibility to commercial composting, quantifies facility numbers, aggregates economic data, and understands various attributes of composting operations.
• LRS (Lakeshore Recycling Systems)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLRS serves as the Overall Event Sponsor for the 2026 Fall Classic & Networking Event. LRS is a major player in the waste and recycling industry in the Midwest region.
• FluxLab at St. Francis Xavier UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEREF partners with the FluxLab at St. Francis Xavier University for the SIMFLEX-Landfill (SIMFLEX-LF) controlled release evaluation program, which systematically tests methane measurement technologies under realistic landfill conditions.
• U.S. Composting CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Composting State of Practice study, investigating composting facility accessibility, processing capacity, and operational technologies across the U.S.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GreenBlue: Nonprofit that works with businesses to advance sustainable materials. Comparable as a research and convening nonprofit in sustainable materials, though broader in scope than EREF's solid waste focus.
• Earthworks: Nonprofit environmental organization focused on mining, fossil fuels, and waste impacts. Adjacent as a nonprofit producing independent research and policy analysis, though focused more on advocacy than EREF's research-grant model.

Direct peers

• Container Recycling Institute: Nonprofit research organization focused on beverage container recycling. Comparable as a focused research nonprofit producing reports and data analysis on a specific waste/recycling niche.
• National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA): Trade association representing private waste and recycling haulers in the U.S. Comparable as a nonprofit serving the same waste management industry with advocacy, research, and educational programming.
• The Recycling Partnership: Nonprofit focused on improving recycling systems in the U.S. through grants, research, and infrastructure funding. Directly comparable to EREF as a nonprofit funding recycling/waste research with industry partnerships and corporate donations.
• Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA): Professional association for the solid waste industry. Direct partner of EREF via 2026 MOU; comparable as a North American nonprofit serving the same industry with educational programming and research dissemination.
• Closed Loop Partners: Investment firm and nonprofit platform that finances circular economy infrastructure. Comparable as a mission-driven entity funding sustainable materials management, though it adds private investment vehicles alongside grants.
• U.S. Composting Council: Nonprofit trade and education organization for the composting industry. Direct partner of EREF on the national composting operations survey; comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit in the organics recycling space.
• Sustainable Packaging Coalition: Industry working group advancing sustainable packaging. Comparable as a nonprofit research and education-focused organization targeting materials management with industry membership support.

Others

• Waste Management (WM) Sustainability Research: Corporate sustainability research arm of the largest North American waste hauler. Comparable as a producer of waste industry data and research, though profit-motivated and integrated into commercial operations rather than operating as an independent foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/environmental-research-and-education-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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