Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. Attend kickoff meeting(s) with the State to develop and submit a workplan which satisfies the scope of work specified in this RFP. 2. Conduct PFAS and microplastic source identification assessments in food packaging at up to 6 candidate food manufacturing businesses. Qualifying candidate business will be located in Vermont and use packaging identified to contain (or expected to potentially contain) PFAS and/or plastic. a. Source identification assessments should include the following: i. Reviewing and understanding processes at the business that result in packaged food products or in the disposal of food packaging. ii. Reviewing manufacturer’s food packaging material information and potentially analytical data collected by the State’s food recycling system sampling contractor. iii. Identifying the materials, products and waste management methodologies used at the business that are known to or have the potential to contain PFAS (or other fluorinated chemicals) or are known to contain plastic. 1. May include coordinating with the State’s P2 sampling contractor to test packaging itself for PFAS compounds and plastic polymers fingerprints. iv. Identifying the potential pathways for introduction of PFAS or plastics from the food packaging or manufacturing equipment- to the food itself, to wastewater, to depackaged food slurry, to anaerobic digestate, to compost, to soil and/or to trash as applicable. v. Contacting packaging manufacturers or suppliers to determine the presence and concentrations of PFAS and plastics within packaging when it is not clearly disclosed. vi. Identifying existing pollution prevention practices implemented at the business and relevant pollution prevention practices utilized at similar businesses in the sector. 3. Provide P2 technical assistance to participating businesses to reduce or eliminate PFAS and/or plastics in their food packaging materials. P2 provided shall meet the specifications of Sections I.C. – I.E. of the EPA’s FY 2022 and FY 2023 Pollution Prevention Grant Program Request for Applications (RFP No. EPA-I-OCSPP-OPPT-FY2022-001) (See Attachment A). The P2 provided should also consider findings from the source identification process (Task 2).
