ARLINGTON, VA – The National Waste & Recycling Foundation (NWRF) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Darrell & Andrea Chambliss Family Scholarships, funded through an endowment established by Waste Connections US, Inc. Waste and recycling is an applied, solutions-driven industry, so our scholarships are organized around real-world impact areas, not specific university majors. Whether you study engineering, business, environmental science, public health, data, communications, or public policy, you may be a strong fit if your coursework, projects, research, internships, or campus leadership connect to one of the categories below.
About the Scholarships
Three scholarships, of up to $20,000 each, are available to support students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited U.S. college or university. One scholarship is available for each of the following categories:
- Safety and Compliance — recognizing excellence and focus in safety and regulatory practices.
- This scholarship recognizes students striving to make waste and recycling operations safer, healthier, and more compliant for our industry’s employees, customers, and communities.
- Safety and compliance work spans far beyond “safety” majors and can include preventing injuries, reducing fire risk, improving training and human factors, strengthening environmental compliance systems, and turning complex rules into practical procedures that work in the field.
- Eligible focus areas may include occupational safety and health, environmental compliance, risk management, emergency preparedness, industrial operations, human factors/ergonomics, training and behavior-based safety, regulatory policy, auditing, or safety communications.
- Technological Advancement — recognizing excellence and focus in advancing technology and innovation in the field.
- This scholarship recognizes students striving to apply technology and innovation to improve how waste and recycling is collected, processed, recycled, and managed.
- “Technology” in our industry includes equipment and vehicle systems, robotics and automation, sensors and controls, data and analytics, material identification, fire detection and prevention, emissions monitoring, and process improvements that increase efficiency and sustainability.
- Innovation may relate to advances in handling municipal solid waste, construction and demolition materials, industrial waste streams, and other parts of the solid waste system.
- Eligible focus areas might include engineering design, software, AI/data science, advanced manufacturing, materials science, chemistry, environmental engineering, facility optimization, lifecycle analysis, or applied research that advances waste and recycling practices.
- Leadership Development — recognizing excellence and focus in future leaders committed to improvement and growth within our industry.
- This scholarship recognizes students building the leadership skills needed to strengthen the waste and recycling workforce and drive progress across organizations and communities. Leadership in our industry shows up in many roles: operations, safety, customer service, communications, policy, HR, finance, sustainability, and team management.
- We welcome applicants who demonstrate initiative, integrity, and the ability to bring people together to solve real problems.
- Eligible focus areas include business administration/management, organizational leadership/leadership studies, organizational psychology and public administration.
Who Should Apply
These scholarships are designed specifically to support the waste and recycling industry. Applicants must be:
- individuals pursuing relevant higher education who work in the industry, or
- individuals with family members in the industry.
How to Apply
Applications will be administered through Scholarship America, Inc. For more information visit: https://scholarshipamerica.org/scholarship/nwrf/
About the Fund
The Fund was created to support exclusively charitable and/or educational purposes through long‑term, perpetual funding, with annual payouts designated specifically for these scholarships.
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ABOUT NWRF
The National Waste & Recycling Foundation (NWRF) is the charitable arm of the National Waste & Recycling Association, a 501(c)(6) organization. Operating independently as a 501(c)(3), the Foundation promotes public education, safety, and research initiatives that benefit the waste and recycling industry and the general public. Current efforts include a national campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of improper lithium-ion battery disposal and a scholarship program supporting future leaders in the industry.
About NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that manage solid, industrial/hazardous, medical, and construction/demolition debris waste, and represent equipment manufacturers and distributors, and a variety of other professional service providers. For more information about NWRA, please visit www.wasterecycling.org.
NWRA/NWRF Contact
Genevieve O’Sullivan
National Waste & Recycling Association
gosullivan@wasterecycling.org
