Waste Minimisation funding

We have an important role in managing waste, reducing the harm waste can cause and encouraging communities and businesses to reduce their waste.

Waste minimisation means reducing waste and increasing reuse, recycling and recovery.

Why we have a Waste Minimisation Fund

We receive funds from the national waste levy - a government charge for all waste going to landfill.

We know that some of the best ideas and deliverers of waste minimisation initiatives are within our community, the funding is there to support these initiatives.

The Waste Minimisation Fund supports new local initiatives by providing the opportunity for annual funding of up to $15,000.

Apply for funding for new waste minimisation initiatives

We'll have an update soon on when applications for funding projects opens.

Projects that we've funded in the past

Past grantees of the Waste Minimisation Fund include:

• NZ Baby Supplies - an initiative to provide cloth nappies to new parents which aims to reduce the number of disposable nappies that are used and end up in landfill.
• Super Grans - project to dehydrate and pack produce within the community that would otherwise go to landfill, the food product is then provided to vulnerable members of the community.
• Tairawhiti Environment Centre - project to reduce the total quantity of single use cups going to landfill by setting up an “Again Again” system, working with cafes in the community who subscribe to be a part of the initiative – the applicant collects data to gauge what reduction there was of single use cups.
• Native Garden Nursery received funding in the 2021 round to fund a trial of growing native plants in a paper system instead of plastic pots, to reduce the use of plastic and to reduce waste to landfill/recycling.