Jumpstart your waste minimisation project with funding from WMIF
Published: 15 July 2019
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Grants of up to $50,000 are available from Auckland Council for Aucklanders with innovative ideas on how to reduce waste. The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF) helps bring ideas to life and support the city to reach its target of zero waste to landfill by 2040.

WMIF funds projects from businesses, local iwi, and education and community groups that will divert waste from landfill. Auckland Council is encouraging Aucklanders focused on waste minimisation start-ups and initiatives to think about how WMIF funding could enhance or expand their work.

Grant application workshops are running from late July to early August across the region to help people prepare for the application round, which opens on 1 September and closes at the end of the month.

Councillor Penny Hulse, Chair of the Environment and Community Committee, says the WMIF fund has been an important catalyst in fostering innovative waste minimisation projects across the region.

“We’re now just over 20 years away from Auckland’s zero waste target. There are some significant challenges to tackle, especially in the construction and demolition waste and commercial waste sectors.

“WMIF often provides the much-needed funds that turn great ideas into even better realities. Over the last six years, I’ve been so impressed with the incredibly clever ideas that Aucklanders have come up with to turn Tāmaki Makaurau into a zero-waste city.

“Almost 400 projects have been funded by WMIF since 2013, allocating more than $3.88 million to assist our wonderful zero-waste champions. It’s encouraging to see so many groups and organizations making waste minimisation a way of life within our communities. They’re committed to the cause, and I’m proud that Auckland Council supports them,” Hulse says.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for WMIF funding, further information is available on Auckland Council’s website. It’s easy to get an idea of the types of projects that have been supported by the fund by checking out the lists of previous award recipients.

All interested applicants are welcome to attend the grant application workshops. Auckland Council especially encourages first-time applicants to come along. Each session will cover how the grant process works, what the eligibility criteria are, and top tips on how to best prepare your grant application.

Workshop details

Location Date Time
Central – Ellen Melville, Betty Wark Room, Centre, 1 Freyberg Place, Auckland Central Tuesday 23 July 6-7pm
North –Orewa Community, Main Hall, Service Centre, 40-46 Orewa Square, Orewa Thursday 25 July 6-7pm
West – New Lynn Community Centre. Meeting Room Two, 45 Totara Avenue, New Lynn Monday 29 July 6-7pm
South – Franklin: the Centre, Leslie Comrie Room, 10 Massey Avenue, Pukekohe Thursday 1 August 5-6pm
Waiheke – Waiheke Library, 131-133 Ocean View Road, Oneroa, Waiheke Island Tuesday 6 August 1-2pm
If you are interested in attending a workshop, please email aucklandwastefund@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or phone 09 301 0101.

Funding projects that make a difference

Last September, 27 grants with a total value of more than $542,500.00 were awarded. Successful applicants included:

1. Clean Island Ltd - Waiheke Construction Waste Recovery received $49,600 to purchase the required equipment to establish the '10 Tonne Project', with the short-term goal of diverting 10 tonnes per week of construction waste from Waiheke Island that is currently going to landfill.
2. All Heart NZ Charitable Trust received $50,000 towards establishing a South Auckland Corporate Waste and Employment Hub for the re-purposing and re-sale of office equipment, significantly increasing diversion of corporate waste from landfill.
3. Medsalv Limited were awarded $12,925 for a pilot project reprocessing single use medical devices to divert these from landfill to be cleaned, tested, and distributed for reuse.
About Auckland Council’s Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF):

• Funding for WMIF comes from the national waste levy (currently set at $10 per tonne), which is administered by the Ministry for the Environment.
• The fund has $500,000 to distribute annually, with one funding round per year for grants of over $5000 and up to $50,000 (September) and two funding rounds for grants of $5000 and under (April and September).
• WMIF was adopted in 2013 and was designed to support projects and innovative solutions that promote or achieve waste management and minimisation, reduce waste to landfill in accordance with the objectives of the Auckland Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, and foster new ideas and encourage community participation in reducing waste to landfill.
• The fund is open to community groups, businesses, iwi, Māori organisations, early childhood centres, schools, tertiary organisations, and other community-based organisations operating in the Auckland region.

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