Reducing waste and creating jobs - Minister announces 2020 Waste Minimisation Fund applications open, focus on COVID-19 recovery

Creating jobs in the vital waste reduction sector is the focus of the latest application round for the Waste Minimisation Fund, which opens today.

“In particular, projects around food rescue and distribution, supporting existing waste sector organisations and advancing product stewardship are encouraged as we support New Zealand’s economic recovery from COVID-19,” Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said.

“COVID-19 has challenged businesses and organisations in the waste and materials recovery sector. This year’s funding round, with up to $8 million available for grants, focuses on addressing immediate needs and upgrading waste systems so they are resilient for the future. 

“A priority for all projects will be to demonstrate how they will support more jobs.

“This year we are looking for 10 to 20 projects of strategic importance to waste minimisation as New Zealand responds to COVID-19.

“This links with the Government’s plan to invest in projects that are designed to reduce, reuse and recycle and ensure New Zealand has a proud track record on waste.

“Since 2008, more than $300 million of landfill levy revenue has been invested into more than 200 waste reduction projects and initiatives through the Waste Minimisation Fund and distributed to councils to support waste minimisation.”

Examples of WMF projects include:

  • Flight Plastics received WMF funding to introduce full bottle grade PET pelletising recycling technology to New Zealand.
  • A food rescue programme run by Whangarei-based One Double Five Whare Awhina Community House Trust was granted $350,700 last year to expand its service to small Northland communities.  Since starting in 2016, the Trust has diverted 22 tonnes of food from landfill, providing meals for almost 17,000 people.
  • Māori waste movement Para Kore has received almost $2 million over the past decade. From a beginning in three Waikato marae, it now delivers education and training on recycling and how to minimise waste to more than 400 marae, kura and Māori organisations throughout the North Island.
  • Rural recycling programme Agrecovery enables farmers and growers to more easily recycle or safely dispose of on-farm waste under a voluntary product stewardship scheme.

 

“The Waste Minimisation Fund plays allows Government to invest and work with industry, councils and community organisations to encourage waste minimisation and reduce waste disposal to landfill.”

To get more information about the 2020 WMF application round, go to https://www.mfe.govt.nz/node/15185. The three week expression of interest period begins today and ends on 22 May.

The Waste Minimisation Fund

The Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) is funded through the waste disposal levy on material which goes to landfill. It was introduced under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.

Fifty per cent of the money collected from the levy is distributed to councils to spend in accordance with their Waste Management and Minimisation Plans. The remainder (minus administration costs) is used for the WMF, which is managed by the Ministry for the Environment.

The purpose of the Act is to encourage waste minimisation and a decrease in waste disposal.

A list of projects that have been awarded WMF funding can be viewed on the Ministry for the Environment’s website www.mfe.govt.nz/more/funding/waste-minimisation-fund/projects-funded-date.

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

NZ needs strong protection against water privatisation

New Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Nature missing in RMA reform

The Government has missed a crucial opportunity to redesign the resource management system with climate and nature at its heart. 
Read More

Story

Report shows reducing actual farming emissions vital

Evidence shows that relying on offsets to reduce agriculture’s impact on the climate will not work, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Budget 2022: Greens call for urgency with nature-first climate investments

Budget 2022 shows progress on conservation commitments in the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Green Party achievements in the last Government ...
Read More

Story

Nature needs us to act right now

The Green Party welcomes the release of the implementation plan for Te Mana o te Taiao Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy and calls on the ...
Read More

Story

Urgent action needed to bring natural environment back from the brink

The release today of Environment Aotearoa 2022 is a sobering reminder of what is at stake if the Government does not step up and take urgent action...
Read More

Latest Waste Announcements

Story

Container return scheme will benefit recycling and the oceans

The work Green Ministers did last term is continuing to make a difference, with the announcement today that the Government is planning to introduce...
Read More

Story

Waste strategy needs to learn from nature

Anything less than a transformational national waste strategy and waste legislation will not be enough, the Green Party said today.
Read More

Story

Greens welcome progress on hard to recycle and single use plastics, but more needs to be done

The Green Party welcomes progress on the phase-out of some hard to recycle plastics and some single-use plastics, but says more must be done.
Read More

Story

More action on waste – Government funds recycling infrastructure, moves to standardise kerbside collections

$36.7m Government investment in high-tech recycling plants nationwide Plan to standardise and improve the nation’s kerbside collections As part o...
Read More

Story

New rules for the outdoor storage of tyres

The Government is introducing environmental standards for tyres stored outdoors announced Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage. “A ...
Read More

Story

Government announces plan to tackle problem plastics and seven single-use plastic items

Following the success of the phase out of single-use plastic shopping bags, the Government now has plans to phase out more single-use and problem p...
Read More