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Waste Minimisation Fund

The Waste Minimisation Fund supports development of innovative solutions for reducing waste, this involves providing financial assistance to local waste minimisation and management initiatives that contribute to achieving the goals outlined in Hastings District Council’s Waste Minimisation and Management Plan 2018.

Apply NowOur Waste Minimisation Funds are here to support innovative solutions that reduce waste.

Monthly Waste Minimisation Contestable Fund

Available for small applications under $2,000. Applications are considered each month from February to November each year, with a pool of $2,000 available each month. Please apply at least six weeks prior to your project’s start date. This ensures your application is processed in time.

Annual Large Waste Minimisation Contestable Fund

Our Large Waste Minimisation Fund is available once per year for applications over $2,000.  This fund has a total pool of $20,000 available.

We’re reviewing our funding process. Our large waste minimisation contestable fund will be delayed for 2023. It will be available for applications in mid-2024. If you’re interested in applying, please email reducewaste@hdc.govt.nz to keep informed of any changes.

Together, we aim to bring to life projects that contribute to achieving the goals outlined in our Waste Minimisation and Management Plan 2018 -2024 (WMMP) either by implementing new initiatives or expanding on existing activities. Achieving these goals brings us a step closer to building a community that values our resources, re-uses, re-purposes and recycles as much as possible.

Want to see examples of projects that have received funding?

Check out our series of case studies

FAQs

Who can apply for HDC’s Waste Minimisation Funds?

School groups, teachers, charities, businesses, individuals; anyone in the Hastings District can apply for our Waste Minimisation Funds.

Where do the funds come from?

Since 2022, every tonne of waste received at a New Zealand landfill has been subject to a waste disposal levy. This is currently $50 per tonne, and will increase to $60 per tonne on 1 July 2024. The waste disposal levy is a charge that gets passed on to the Ministry for the Environment. Half of the levy funds are given to councils, based on their population size.

What do you mean by “implementing new initiatives or expanding on existing activities”?

HDC’s Waste Minimisation Funds are here to kick-start projects that aren’t already happening or that expand on existing activities in a different/new way. For example, if your project is already composting, we won’t fund the continuation of this. But if you would like to start worm farming in addition to composting, or are wanting to build a community garden to use your compost, you are welcome to apply.  

Tell me more about the goals in our Waste Minimisation and Management Plan 2018- 2024 (WMMP).

Our WMMP sets out the goals that will bring us closer to becoming a community that values our resources, re-uses, re-purposes and recycles as much as possible. Take a look at the document and consider how your project could align with these goals.

These goals will be achieved alongside our community, whether this is through education, engagement or the development of new technology and ways of working.

How do you decide which applications receive funding?

Hastings District Council aims to support projects/ideas that avoid creating waste, rather than just managing it. This means “designing out” waste to prevent those materials from becoming a waste stream in the first place - think reusable steel cups rather than recyclable plastic cups.  

Priority areas for the grants are (in order of priority):

  1. Minimisation/avoidance/reduction of waste creation
  2. Re-use or upcycling of waste materials
  3. Recycling of waste materials
  4. Recovery of waste resource (i.e. the selective extraction of disposed materials for a specific next use (instead of landfill), such as upcycling or composting).

What can’t you fund?

  • Projects that focus on waste disposal, the treatment of waste prior to disposal, or commercial clean-ups. (However, marine clean-ups that involve education around waste may be considered)
  • Projects that are inconsistent with Hastings District Council’s Joint Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (2018-2024) and funding outcome areas
  • Projects that are not in Hastings
  • Subsidising the cost of waste to landfill
  • Debt servicing
  • Waste minimisation projects that have already been completed.

If you aren’t sure whether your project meets the criteria for funding, email us at reducewaste@hdc.govt.nz

If I apply for funding and am not successful, can I apply again?

Absolutely. Our Waste Minimisation Officers are happy to give you feedback on your application and project. Email us at reducewaste@hdc.govt.nz

APPLY ONLINE FOR THE WASTE MINIMISATION FUND HERE

Case studies

House of ScienceHouse of Science’s interactive lesson kit, ’A Load of Rubbish,’ will now be available to Hastings students, thanks to HDC’s Waste Minimisation Fund.

HDC has come on board to sponsor the ‘A Load of Rubbish’ kit, which introduces school students to the world of waste through science. Through activities like sorting recycling, making plastic polymers and understanding the waste hierarchy, students feel empowered to care about resources and where they end up. 

The Environment Centre is a community hub that aims to inspire and empower people, businesses, and the community to create a resilient and regenerative Hawke’s Bay.

Through staff experience managing waste at events, they found that one of the biggest creators of waste at events is single-use containers. With the support of Hastings District Council, the Environment Centre is designing a new service with a mobile wash station, cutlery, coffee cups and crockery to enable greater wash and reuse during events.

Pregnancy HelpPregnancy Help supports families by providing them with a range of information and support, including clean, good quality second-hand baby clothes and equipment for free.

With the support of Hastings District Council, Pregnancy Help has established a modern cloth nappy bank at their centre, and organised an event to launch this fantastic community resource.

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