Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava alongside the Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) County officials and the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA) announced the winners of MDIA鈥檚 fifth public innovation challenge. This challenge focused on solutions that will divert waste, particularly organic waste, from County landfills, enhance recycling efforts, and strengthen strategies to reduce waste and educate and engage residents.
Miami-Dade County produces over five million tons of waste annually. According to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) only 37 percent of the County鈥檚 waste is actually recycled with a contamination rate of approximately 39 percent. Piloting innovative technologies and easy鈥憈o鈥憉se tools will help the County increase recycling participation, divert more material, increase re-use of organic waste and recyclables, and reduce environmental impact.
The announcement event included demonstrations of the three winning technology solutions. Beginning in 2026, two of the startups will participate in a pilot test conducted at South Dade Landfill and Old South Dade Landfill; the other pilot will be deployed county-wide to educate residents on how to sort their waste. The selected winners include two local South Florida companies: Clean Earth Innovations, which will process organic waste through a rotary pyrolysis to create nutrient-rich biochar; and Fertile Earth Worm Farm, which deploys a composting solution to create high-quality, organic soil blends. The other winner is Scrapp, whose phone-based app educates and engages residents on proper waste disposal practices.
鈥淎s we advance our Zero Waste Master Plan, Miami-Dade is taking bold action to reduce landfill waste and build a more resilient Miami-Dade by pressure testing these solutions in real-world settings,鈥� said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. 鈥淲e鈥檙e running out of space in our landfills, and the time to act is now. Every innovative step we take helps protect our planet, reduce waste, and create a cleaner, more sustainable future for generations to come, which is why we鈥檙e positioning Miami-Dade County to lead in Zero Waste innovation while solving real problems for the residents we serve.”
Piloting the innovative technologies selected through the Public Innovation Challenge will inform and complement the County’s Zero Waste Master Plan, a comprehensive roadmap that outlines a path forward to divert, reduce, and reuse overall waste in our community. 鈥淢iami-Dade’s new waste mandates require at least a 40% reduction in waste sent to landfills and such a substantial portion could be composted or reused,” said Leigh-Ann Buchanan, President and CEO of MDIA. 鈥淭hrough the pilots of these winning solutions, we’re demonstrating that innovation and technology can be at the forefront of optimizing efficiencies in waste diversion.鈥�
MDIA鈥檚 Public Innovation Challenge sources, selects, funds, and facilitates pilots by early鈥憈o growth鈥憇tage companies to help solve high鈥慽mpact public problems. MDIA, in partnership with DSWM, selected the Public Innovation Challenge winners from a competitive pool of over 80 applicants, including local and global technology companies, after the challenge launched in March 2025. Each selected company will receive funding for $100,000 and the opportunity to test and validate their solutions with DSWM in a pilot setting.
“Our commitment to serve Miami-Dade residents means constantly improving how we manage waste and protect our environment,鈥� said Miami-Dade County DSWM Director Aneisha Daniel, PhD. 鈥淏y partnering with startups through this challenge, we鈥檙e exploring practical, sustainable solutions that serve our communities better and ensure a cleaner, healthier future for Miami-Dade County residents.”