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Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Congratulations to All 2025 Green Grant Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe’re celebrating another successful year of our Green Grants program!

We were excited to see organizations step forward with thoughtful, inspiring ideas for positive changes in their communities. A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who applied—and a big congratulations to our 2025 Green Grant recipients! (See list and links below.)

With 112 grant applications vying for 30 grant awards, the judges had a challenging time evaluating and scoring the applications. We extend our sincere appreciation to our panel of expert judges for their thoughtful evaluation of each application.

We’re also deeply grateful to our sponsors – their support makes this program possible!

Below, you’ll find a recap of the 2025 grant awards, with links to each blog article to learn more.  The Green Grants program continues to showcase the power of volunteers and the ripple effect of community-driven action. The projects funded this year will not only beautify and improve local environments but also inspire others to follow suit.

Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has proudly awarded $360,250 in funding to support 435 projects across the Commonwealth. From bustling cities to quiet rural towns, historic parks to local municipalities, our grants have touched communities as diverse as Virginia itself.

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6/1/2025 The Flora of Virginia Project $500 Community Beautification
6/2/2025 Hands On Harvests $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/3/2025 Rocktown High School Earth Club $750 Community Beautification
6/4/2025 Clean Essex Committee $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/5/2025 Olde Towne Business Association $500 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/6/2025 Arrowhead Elementary School $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/7/2025 Courts of St Francis HOA $1,000 Community Beautification
6/8/2025 Scottsville Center for Arts and Nature $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/9/2025 Northstar Academy and Career Center $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/10/2025 Our Health, Inc. $500 Community Beautification
6/11/2025 Coastal Composite Squadron $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/12/2025 Friends of Natural Bridge State Park $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/13/2025 Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail $500 Community Beautification
6/14/2025 Rivanna Conservation Alliance $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/15/2025 Elizabeth River Trail Foundation $1,000 Community Beautification
6/16/2025 Claytor Lake Chapter Izzak Walton League $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/17/2025 Supernova Alliance $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/18/2025 Jonnie B. Deel Memorial Library $500 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/19/2025 Lee County Garden Club $750 Community Beautification
6/20/2025 Tech For Troops $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/21/2025 Friends of Peak Creek $500 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/22/2025 Affordable Homes & Communities $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/23/2025 Newport News Green Foundation $1,000 Community Beautification
6/24/2025 Barns of Rose Hill $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
6/25/2025 Waterway Cleanups $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/26/2025 Hopewell Recreation & Parks $1,000 Community Beautification
6/27/2025 Danville Science Center $1,000 Litter Prevention or Abatement
6/28/2025 Friends of Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office Co $1,000 Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling
6/29/2025 Downtown Greens $750 Community Beautification
6/30/2025 Virginia Institute of Marine Science $1,000 Recycling and Waste Reduction
Photo of a large boat wrapped in shrink-wrap plastic to protect it from the elements while being transported or stored

VIMS Wraps it up with $1,000 Green Grant

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Photo of a large boat wrapped in shrink-wrap plastic to protect it from the elements while being transported or storedVirginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Recycling and Waste Reduction category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.    

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address environmental concerns in their community.  Grants must focus on one of the following priorities:   Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification. 

The Virginia Clean Marina Program is part of the Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.  They provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to the marine industry, citizens, and government in many areas, including sport fishing, marine education, seafood technology, marine business, and aquaculture. The Clean Marina Program strives to lessen the potential environmental impacts of marina operations through education, outreach, and prevention.

Blue words on white background that read: VIMS, Virginia Institute of Marine Science; William & MaryThe focus of the Green Grant project for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is to recycle boating shrink wrap. When the boating season winds down, many owners choose to shrink-wrap their vessel to protect the paint, furniture, and trim from the elements during the winter.  The shrink wrap is removed at the beginning of the next boating season, and much of that plastic ends up in the landfill.

Funds provided by the grant will be used by VIMS to purchase metal recycling bins to keep at marinas to collect used boating shrink wrap at until it is ready for pickup by the Clean Marina Program staff, interns, and volunteers, who will dry it, and cut off any non-recyclables. The shrink wrap will then be transferred to Virginia Institute of Marine Science campus, where it will be baled and picked up by International Paper, a shrink wrap recycler based in Richmond. Non-recyclables will be reused in an art contest with Newport News Public Schools.  The Virginia Institute of Marine Science also plans to promote the use of reusable options for the used shrink wrap, such as tarps, in addition to recycling.