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Applications open for fund to support zero waste warriors

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PUBLISHED: 15 APR 2024

If you’re an individual, school, business or community group with a great idea or project to cut down waste, you could be eligible for support for NPDC’s Zero Waste Fund.

Applications are now open for the fund, for which we allocate $100,000 a year from the Ministry for the Environment Waste Levy for initiatives that support waste minimisation activities, addressing our goals and objectives of our Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.

There are two application rounds each year and we encourage those running programmes and initiatives that help to share skills and knowledge with the community that will contribute to minimising waste across our district, to apply.

Projects and activities at the top of the Ministry’s waste hierarchy – such as reusing and repairing – are encouraged.

A previous recipient is 'KAItiaki Composting', which received funding in 2022.  The social enterprise’s pilot project involved young people picking up food waste from local businesses and transforming it into compost to be used on the Marfell Community Garden.

As well as engaging young people in the programme also aimed to address food waste by reusing it for another purpose rather than it ending up in landfill.

Find out more and apply. Applications close 10 May.

Fast facts:

  • NPDC is working with towards an ambitious goal to Taranaki have zero waste to landfill by 2040.
  • Zero Waste topped the Top 10 Focus Areas survey in 2017 as the most popular idea with residents.
  • In 2021/22, New Plymouth District diverted 12,157 tonnes of waste away from the landfill.