RIDE awards $2.7 million in ‘Get the Foam Out’ grants to eliminate Styrofoam waste in schools

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education have announced that they will be awarding 101 schools with grants totaling nearly $2.7 million as part of their new campaign, “Get the Foam Out.”

The initiative, which was officially launched in January, focuses on mitigating the amount of waste by single-use Styrofoam meal trays and diverting food waste from the landfill.

“A greener Rhode Island is critical for our state’s children to continue to thrive,” said Governor Dan McKee in a statement. “The ‘Get the Foam Out’ initiative works to create a more environmentally friendly education system that limits the use of Styrofoam and lessens the long-term, detrimental impacts of pollution. Thank you to the Council for approving this program.”

“Now more than ever, it is critical for students to learn the importance of protecting the environment around them,” said Infante-Green in a statement. “With this initiative, we are making strides towards a greener Rhode Island for our children and their families by eliminating the amount of single-use service ware disposed of on a daily basis in our schools. I am grateful for the continued collaboration with state, school, and community leaders to ensure this becomes a reality, and am thankful for the Council’s approval of the grants.”

The schools that will receive the funding are listed below:

Beacon Charter 
Blackstone Academy 
Bristol-Warren 
Burrillville 
Central Falls 
Charette Charter 
Chariho 
Compass School
Cumberland 
East Greenwich 
Johnston
Lincoln
Little Compton 
Middletown 
Narragansett 
Newport 
North Kingstown 
North Providence 
Nuestro Mundo
Providence 
RI School for Deaf 
Scituate 
Smithfield 
South Kingstown
Tiverton 
Westerly