Waste Less, Recycle More

The grants programs to be rolled out by the NSW Environmental Trust under the extension of Waste Less, Recycle More are:

Improved Systems for Household Problem Wastes - Community Recycling Centres

This program has been allocated a further $3 million for community recycling centres or similar mobile services to upgrade existing facilities, construct new facilities or develop and trial innovative solutions where a fixed facility is not practicable.

Landfill Consolidation and Environmental Improvements

This program has been allocated a further $5 million to support regional and rural local councils with landfill consolidation and closure, building and upgrading transfer stations and implementing a range of environmental improvements.

Major Resource Recovery Infrastructure

This program has been allocated a further $25 million to accelerate and stimulate investment in waste and recycling infrastructure and increase resource recovery from businesses, industry and households. It is designed to fund major resource recovery facilities in levy paying areas of NSW which primarily process materials from these areas. 

Organics Collections

This program (previously known as the Local Government Organics Collection Systems) has been allocated a further $10 million to support the implementation of new or enhanced household kerbside collection services for organic waste. This includes collection systems for garden, food or combined food and garden organic waste.

Organics Infrastructure (Large and Small)

This program has been allocated a further $14 million to support a broad range of small and large infrastructure projects that recover garden, food or combined food and garden organic waste from households and businesses. It has four funding streams:

1. Organics Processing Infrastructure
2. Business Organics Recycling
3. Food Donation
4. Product Quality

Recycling Innovation

This program is a combination of the Innovation in Priority Problem Wastes Management and the Innovation in Shredder Floc Management grants programs. It has been allocated a further $4.5 million to support innovative projects that will provide new recycling infrastructure solutions; establish (or expand) recycled material markets through research and development; and improve and introduce new approaches and technologies to increase the efficiency of recycling facilities for sources of wastes listed as priorities for this program. 

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a performance-based Deed of Agreement that will be signed by both the NSW Environmental Trust and the successful applicant. Applicants will have up to 30 days to sign the Deed of Agreement (if it is not signed within the specified period the offer may lapse).

Once the Deed of Agreement is signed, funding will be provided in instalments. The NSW Environmental Trust will monitor the progress of projects and on completion, a Final Report will be required along with an independently certified Statement of Expenditure. These forms and a sample Deed of Agreement are available on the relevant program page.

The following programs are no longer on offer by the NSW Environmental Trust. Some of these programs have been discontinued or are now being offered through the NSW Environment Protection Authority. Please use the links below for more details on these programs and past recipients.

Innovation in Shredder Floc Management

This program awarded $3.2 million of grants that aimed at improving and introducing new approaches and technologies to reduce the residual waste produced by the metal recycling sector (called shredder floc). The program was designed to assist the three metal recycling companies operating in NSW to reduce the amount of shredder floc produced. The metal recycling companies were encouraged to work in partnership with industry associations, tertiary or research organisations to come up with innovative solutions to achieve the goals of the program.

Love Food Hate Waste

This program (previously known as Food Waste Avoidance Education) awarded $1.1 million of grants that raised awareness around food waste and provided households and businesses with simple actions they could implement to reduce the amount of edible food disposed of in NSW. An integral part of this was supporting initiatives of organisations such as councils, council groups, non-government organisations and community groups who were Love Food Hate Waste partners.

Organics Infrastructure (Large and Small) - Home Composting

This stream awarded $1.6 million of grants that supported purchasing compost bins and/or worm farms to enhance council organics waste management and home composting programs.

Resource Recovery Facility Expansion and Enhancement

This program awarded $15.4 million of grants that aimed at stimulating and accelerating investment to recycling facilities and focused on enhancing or expanding existing facilities. The program also complements the Major Resource Recovery Infrastructure grants program.

• EPA Waste Less Recycle More
• Love Food Hate Waste
• Household Chemical CleanOut
• Food and Garden Organics Best Practice Collections Manual
• Support for sustainability
• Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia
• Australian Green Infrastructure Council
• Green Infrastructure