Miami-Dade County is tackling its growing waste problem head-on with a new Public Innovation Challenge designed to attract cutting-edge solutions from the startup community.
The Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA) has launched its fifth challenge, offering at least $300,000 in funding to startups focused on improving waste diversion and reducing contamination in recycling efforts. The ultimate goal is ambitious: to identify new ways to decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills while making it easier for residents to actively participate in the process.
Leigh-Ann Buchanan, President and CEO of the MDIA, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “Reducing landfill waste and improving waste diversion is crucial to ensuring the continued health and well-being of Miami residents and fragile ecosystems – especially as our population continues to grow.” She added that the challenge “not only provides an opportunity for startups with cutting-edge solutions to make a real impact but also demonstrates our region’s leadership within the global resilience community.”
The challenge is a response to the staggering amount of waste generated in Miami-Dade County. The county produces over five million tons of waste annually, yet the recycling rate remains low, at approximately 37%. A major issue is contamination: non-recyclable items mixed with recyclables render entire batches unusable. Concurrent with these challenges, the county’s landfills are rapidly filling up, creating significant environmental and financial pressures.
Buchanan highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that South Dade Landfill, the county’s only landfill, is expected to reach capacity within the next five years. “We often don’t have more land to expand on, given where our geography is placed, and so it just became very clear that there was an opportunity here to identify solutions that could at least incrementally solve this problem,” she explained.
The challenge is seeking early-to-growth stage startups with innovative solutions. Proposals might include apps that guide residents on proper waste sorting, platforms that connect residents to local recycling resources and offer incentives for participation, and data-driven tools to optimize waste management strategies. The initiative also seeks technologies that repurpose organic waste before it reaches landfills.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava underscored the significance of the challenge, saying in a statement, “As our community continues to grow, we must use all the tools in our box to reimagine how we manage our waste now and in the future.”
This challenge offers startups a unique opportunity to test their solutions in a real-world setting. Selected companies will each receive $100,000 to pilot their technologies with the county’s Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM), which manages waste collection and recycling services for over 350,000 households in Miami-Dade. Aneisha Daniel, Director of DSWM, stressed the need for scalable solutions, affirming that “Through this challenge, we aim to discover innovative solutions that will transform waste into opportunities for a greener future.”
The MDIA has a strong track record of success. Since its launch less than two years ago, the organization has run four previous challenges, attracting over 350 startups. The organization is now using its success to improve the processes for future partnerships, streamlining the time it takes for companies to pilot new technologies.
“We’ve been able to work closely with Miami-Dade County to streamline processes that would otherwise serve as impediments for innovative companies with emerging technologies,” said Buchanan. In fact, the procurement process was reduced from 18 months to less than six.
Buchanan hopes to expand MDIA’s efforts beyond Miami, stating, “It seems unfair to keep our insights siloed. There are so many municipalities, even just in South Florida, that could use this type of vehicle.”
Interested startups can find more information and apply for the waste challenge before the deadline of Monday, April 21.
