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Waste Minimisation funding

Apply for 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're looking to fund new projects that contribute to waste minimisation, avoid harm and improve resource efficiency.

Annual funding applications open 1 November and close 5pm on the last Friday of February each year. We notify applicants by April.

Information required within the application includes a budget of the project including the estimated total cost of the project, how the project will contribute to the goals of the Gisborne District Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, how project success will be measured and the expected timeframe of the project.

When we assess applications we're looking for projects that can demonstrate the likelihood of success, a reduction of harm to the environment, reduction of the amount of waste disposed of and long term benefits after the life of the project.

If you receive funding, Gisborne District Council's support must be recognised in all your project promotion.

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.

Waste
  • anything disposed of or discarded
  • a type of waste that's defined by its composition or source, for example organic waste, electronic waste or construction and demolition waste
  • any component or element of diverted material, if the component or element is disposed of or discarded.
Waste minimisation
  • the reduction of waste
  • the reuse, recycling and recovery of waste and diverted material.
Diverted material
  • anything that's no longer required for its original purpose and, but for commercial or other waste minimisation activities, would be disposed of or discarded.
Reduction
  • lessening waste generation, including by using products more efficiently or by redesigning products
  • lessening waste generation in relation to the product.
Reuse
  • the further use of waste or diverted material in its existing form for the original purpose of the materials or products that constitute the waste or diverted material, or for a similar purpose.
Recycling
  • the reprocessing of waste or diverted material to produce new materials.
Recovery
  • extraction of materials or energy from waste or diverted material for further use or processing
  • making waste or diverted material into compost