Deadline: 9-Mar-25
The Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority’s Zero Waste Community Fund to provide support to community organisations for waste prevention initiatives.
Aims
- Projects must meet the following aims:
- Support local community activity to improve waste behaviour through reuse, prevention and recycling projects
- Make a difference to the wider community and people’s lives
Priorities
- Your project should address at least one of five key priority household waste materials; Food, Furniture, Plastics, Textiles and WEEE (Waste Electrical, Electronic Equipment) Successful applicants will have identified how their project focus’ on the prevention, reuse or recycling of at least one of these key priority materials. You will also engage with your community and help them to positively change their behaviour towards waste.
- Food: Food waste can be prevented by providing people with training, skills, and knowledge to improve their food shopping and storage habits and by improving portion control. They are actively looking for projects focussing on food skills, food growing and composting.
- Furniture: Unwanted furniture may be suitable for reuse, repair, or repurposing. These activities can provide opportunities to develop new skills and reduce waste. They are actively looking for projects focussing on donating furniture which is no longer wanted but in usable condition to local communities.
- Plastics: projects may reduce dependence on disposal, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Textiles: Textiles are sometimes thrown away unnecessarily when they are often suitable for repair and reuse. They are actively focussing on projects including sewing skills, ‘swishing’ (clothes swapping) events and lending libraries – all of which can help with the reuse of clothing and other textiles.
- Waste Electrical, Electronic Equipment (WEEE): WEEE can be defined as electrical and electronic equipment that are battery or plug operated, that are broken or unwanted. Many of the electrical items that are thrown away can be recycled or repaired, which helps to save natural resources and reduces damage to the environment.
Funding Information
- They have a total funding pot of £165,000 for projects between £1,000 to £30,000.
- £1,000 to a maximum of £8,000 is available for an individual district project.
- Up to £30,000 is available for projects delivering across the City Region area. To qualify you must deliver your project in a minimum of 4 districts equally.
Ineligible Projects
- They can’t fund individuals or projects from profit making businesses.
- Core costs that are not specific for the project.
- They can’t fund research projects,
- Activities that any other organisation has a duty to undertake.
- They can’t support projects which deliver activities that are the responsibility of local authorities.
- Projects that deal with waste from businesses that would not be expected to be collected by local authorities.
- They can’t fund costs for activities already provided by other funders.
- Contribution to endowment fund, payment of deficit funding or repayment of loans
- Recoverable VAT
Eligibility Criteria
- They fund a variety of legal community structures such as:
- Registered Incorporated Charities, you should provide your Charity Number if applicable.
- Not-for-profit Organisations, this is a registered legal entity that does not make a profit for directors, members, or shareholders.
- Community Associations, Tenants, and Residents groups that has an overarching community purpose that reaches beyond its membership.
- Faith or Political Groups, they support projects from Faith or Political groups that have a community purpose other than the advancement of religion or political activities.
- Environmental, arts and heritage Organisations that have certificate of registration, Memorandum or Articles.
- Co-operatives, social enterprises, and Community Interest Company Ltd by Guarantee, who don’t have shares or shareholders. C.I.C’s must have three unrelated Directors.
- Schools, College or University, your project will benefit your establishment and the wider community, and/or work in partnership with a voluntary or community organisation.
For more information, visit MRWA.