Grants on offer for local projects aiming to reduce, reuse or recycle waste
Projects that are focused on preventing and reducing carbon emissions are in line to benefit from grants being offered by the Zero Waste Community Fund.
Wirral-based community and voluntary groups can apply for between £1,000 and £8,000 for projects that work across the borough.
For groups whose carbon reduction work covers Wirral and a further three or more areas in Liverpool City Region, funding of up to £30,000 is available for their projects.
Applications must provide details of the projects to be delivered with the funding and these should address one or more of the five priority household waste materials which have been identified by the funding providers, Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority.
These are:
- WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment)
- Food
- Textiles
- Plastics
- Furniture
Projects can also include other household waste materials, such as paper or metals.
Previous projects supported by this fund have included local recycling guidebooks, cookery clubs to support healthy eating and reduce food waste, restoring old furniture to sell for charity and refurbishing unwanted rugs for resale. Other projects have looked at the gleaning of fruit and vegetables, which is about collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, markets, shops and restaurants and re-directing it to others in need.
Cllr Liz Grey, Chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee at Wirral Council said:
We have a large number of groups in Wirral that do incredible work within their communities to reduce waste and reuse things that would otherwise be thrown out and I would encourage them to look at applying for this funding to help support any upcoming projects.
Reducing the number of things we waste is essential for tackling the climate emergency and by working together we can help reuse much of what is currently considered waste. I think we are all increasingly aware that recycling is vital but is not the only answer. We need to think more about creating a fully circular economy and eliminating waste.
I look forward to seeing, yet again, the amazing work that groups can do with this funding to help make their communities, and the borough as a whole, a better and more environmentally conscious place to live and work.
Credit: Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA)
Interested groups can apply via www.merseysidewda.gov.uk or contact Community.fund@merseysidewda.gov.uk.
The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Sunday 10th March 2024.
Successful projects should receive the funding by mid-April 2024 and will have to deliver their schemes by March 2025.
Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA), Councillor Catie Page, said:
We are so grateful for the partnerships we have with the region's community groups. They are the backbone of our communities, the ones who are working on the ground to make a difference.
Giving groups the opportunity to get involved in looking after their environment brings benefits to all and can help us appreciate items as valuable resources rather than something which otherwise might be just thrown away.
