Circular Arizona announces 2025 grant and scholarship recipients
Phoenix, Arizona — Circular Arizona is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 grant and scholarship programs, awarding funding to innovative organizations and emerging leaders advancing circular economy solutions across Arizona.
This year, Circular Arizona awarded two $5,000 grants to support reuse and textile waste diversion initiatives, along with two $2,500 scholarships for Arizona students pursuing careers in circularity. Since the 1990s, Circular Arizona has awarded more than $300,000 in grants and scholarships to support recycling, reuse, and circular economy efforts statewide.
Grant recipients were selected through a competitive application process designed to identify projects that demonstrate measurable waste reduction or reuse impact, feasibility of implementation, innovation, scalability, and alignment with Circular Arizona’s mission to foster an equitable circular economy.
2026 Circular Arizona Grant Recipients
FABRIC Tempe received a $5,000 grant to launch Sew-cular Exchange, Arizona’s first organized community textile scrap hub. Operated through FABRIC’s nonprofit fashion incubator in Tempe, the program will collect and redistribute fabric scraps and trims that would otherwise be landfilled, providing free materials to designers, artists, students, and community members.
FABRIC Tempe was selected for its strong potential to divert hard-to-recycle textile waste, formalize an existing reuse practice, and provide clear metrics for tracking material recovery. The project demonstrates creativity and feasibility while expanding equitable access to materials and supporting local makers, aligning closely with Circular Arizona’s goals of waste reduction, reuse, and community-centered circular solutions.
Bold Reuse, in partnership with the Walter Where?House music venue in Phoenix, received a $5,000 grant to expand a durable cup reuse system for live events. Grant funding will support the purchase of reusable stainless steel cups and collection infrastructure, enabling the venue to eliminate an estimated 70,000 single-use cups annually.
This project was selected for its measurable waste reduction impact, proven pilot success, and clear plan for operational implementation. By integrating reuse into a high-traffic Arizona entertainment venue, Bold Reuse demonstrates how circular systems can scale within the arts and events sector while offering a replicable model for other venues across Arizona.
2025 Circular Arizona Scholarship Recipients
Circular Arizona also awarded two $2,500 scholarships to Arizona students, selected through a competitive application process designed to identify students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, a clear commitment to sustainability or circular economy careers, and alignment with Circular Arizona’s mission and values.
Lola Kolodisner is a senior at Northern Arizona University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in Environmental Communications and a minor in Biological Studies. Maintaining a 3.80 GPA, she will graduate in May 2026. Her coursework spans climate change, environmental policy, sustainability, ethics, and environmental communications.
Lola was selected for her strong academic performance, interdisciplinary focus, and demonstrated commitment to applying environmental science through policy and public engagement. As an intern with Circular Arizona, she is co-authoring a white paper on implementing a Bottle Bill (Container Deposit Program) in Arizona, reflecting her interest in translating research into actionable circular economy policy. She is particularly interested in toxic waste and chemical management and aspires to work at the intersection of environmental science, public health, and policy.
Jaafar Ballout is a Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering at Arizona State University with a 4.0 GPA. His research focuses on advancing circularity in the U.S. chemicals industry, particularly within plastics and single-use packaging systems, through life cycle assessment, supply chain optimization, and systems modeling.
Jaafar was selected for his exceptional academic achievement, leadership in sustainability education, and research that directly supports circular materials management and emissions reduction. He currently co-teaches Sustainable Engineering at ASU and brings a systems-level perspective that bridges academia, industry, and policy. His work reflects Circular Arizona’s emphasis on innovation, data-driven decision-making, and equitable transitions to circular systems.
What’s Next
Grant and scholarship recipients will be recognized at the Circular Arizona Annual Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Phoenix. Grant winners will share project updates, and scholarship recipients will be honored for their academic and professional achievements.
Through these awards, Circular Arizona advances its mission to “foster an equitable circular economy and connect Arizonans through innovation, education, and collaboration.” Applications for the 2027 grant and scholarship awards will open to Circular Arizona members in summer 2026.
Circular Arizona’s grant and scholarship opportunities are made possible through the support of members, sponsors, and community partners. Those interested in helping expand future grant and scholarship offerings can learn more about getting involved at CircularArizona.org.
Circular Arizona envisions an equitable circular economy for a sustainable Arizona. Learn more about our mission and programs at CircularArizona.org.
Media Contact:
Ryan Gurr
Circular Arizona
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