Waste Minimisation Fund

Waste Minimisation Fund

The Waste Minimisation Fund supports innovative solutions that reduce waste and enhance waste minimisation efforts across the Whangārei District. 

Our goal is to encourage community participation, education and long-term behaviour change that benefits the District and contributes to sustainable waste minimisation and management.

We aim to target priority waste streams and improve resource efficiency, ideally by funding new initiatives that:

  • complement and enhance existing waste minimisation programmes
  • address gaps in Council’s waste services
  • create new opportunities for reducing waste.

Successful projects will deliver measurable reductions in landfill waste or other waste minimisation improvements while helping achieve the objectives of our Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. 

Waste Management and Minimisation Plan

Projects will be assessed based on their strategic value in promoting ongoing waste minimisation.

Please check the Waste Minimisation Fund guidelines before applying:

Waste Minimisation Fund application guidelines(PDF, 197KB)

Who can apply?

Eligible organisations are those that:

  • have a constitution or trust deed
  • have a bank account in the group’s name
  • have held an AGM recently in line with its rules
  • exist for not-for-profit or charitable purposes
  • do not have any existing funding from Council or the Ministry for the Environment 
  • benefit the Whangārei District.

Businesses can be permitted to apply with specific waste minimisation projects. 

Examples of previous Waste Minimisation Fund recipients

Here are some examples of waste minimisation projects that we have funded:

Waste Less

Set up of recycling bins and trailer for purposes of minimising waste to landfill by recycling at markets and events.

Waste Less (facebook.com)

House of Science

Interactive lesson kit for school students, 'A Load of Rubbish'. This introduces students to the world of waste through science.

Via activities like sorting recycling and understanding the waste hierarchy, students learn about our precious resources and where they go.

House of Science (houseofscience.nz)

Para Kore

Mai i Kurawaka and Kope Tautaiao

Workshops on period waste free and cloth nappy reusable items run in the Whangārei District to decrease waste to landfill.

Para Kore (parakore.maori.nz)

155 Whakaora Kai Food Rescue

Kai is precious and so is our planet. This Northland food rescue charity collects quality food destined for landfill and shares it with community organisations across Taitokerau.

Whakaora Kai (whakaorakai.org)

Legasea / Kai Ika project

The Kai Ika project aims to change the way people perceive 'waste' through recovering unwanted fish parts and sharing them with people who want them.

The LegaSea / Kai Ika project is a collaborative initiative focused on reducing waste from discarded fish parts and providing food to communities in need.

It involves collecting fish heads, frames and offal, which are typically thrown away by commercial and recreational fishers, and distributing them to families and individuals who can use them for food.

Kai Ika (kaiika.co.nz)

Waste-Ed with Kate

Cloth Nappies and More online course: Understand the lifecycle of disposable nappies and their environmental impact. Gain practical tips and tricks to make cloth nappies work for your family. Learn how to integrate reusable baby products.

Waste Free Period Programme: Designed to help individuals make sustainable choices by providing education on sustainable menstrual products. It empowers participants to reduce waste, save money and take charge of their period care in a more environmentally conscious way.

Waste-Ed with Kate (wastedkate.co.nz)

Funding rounds and grant options

There are two funding rounds per year, with the following options:

  • standard funding: $1,000 to $5,000
  • special projects: $5,000 to $30,000.

Refer to the eligibility and assessment criteria below to prepare your application. 

Closing date: Round two of this fund is now open and closes on Sunday 16 November 2025.

Eligibility criteria

The fund focuses on seeding new initiatives that support waste minimisation, including:

  • enhancing and complementing existing waste minimisation efforts
  • addressing gaps in waste services or creating new waste reduction opportunities.

To be eligible, your project must:

  • reduce waste to landfill and / or target priority waste streams, including:
    • organic waste
    • construction and demolition waste
    • community action and behaviour change
  • achieve measurable waste minimisation outcomes, such as waste reduction, reuse, recycling, or material recovery for further use or processing
  • align with the Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan
  • take place within Whangārei or directly benefit the Whangārei District community
  • be led by a legal entity (e.g. a community group)
  • provide evidence of costs, including:
    • written quotes
    • product advertisements
    • reports and budgets (verbal quotes will not be accepted)
  • start within three months of funding approval and be completed within 12 months of receiving funds
  • acknowledge Council support by using the Council logo in promotional materials.

Reporting requirements

  • All recipients must report back to the Council.
  • Projects must submit progress reports on key milestones at three months and six months, and a final outcomes report.

Required documents

To ensure a smooth application process, please provide the following:

  • Completed application form:  answer all questions thoroughly. Incomplete applications may result in delays.
  • Required attachments:  include all requested documents and clearly label any additional materials.
  • Financial information:  provide a bank account in the organisation’s name and proof of financial stability (e.g. annual or audited accounts).

Cost evidence requirements

Provide clear evidence of all costs related to your application, such as:

  • quotes
  • product advertisements
  • reports
  • budgets.

Verbal quotes will not be accepted.

GST considerations:

  • If you are GST-registered, do not include GST in your project cost breakdown.
  • If you are not GST-registered, the Council will adjust the funding application accordingly.

Additional considerations

To receive funding, applicants must be actively involved in the project and contribute resources. This may include:

  • supplying materials
  • providing in-kind labour
  • making a financial contribution.

Ensure you detail your contribution in the application form.

What this fund cannot be used for

Funding will not be provided for:

  • waste disposal or treatment for disposal / clean-ups
  • projects that do not align with the Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2023 and funding priorities
  • general environmental education programmes (only educational projects that specifically promote waste minimisation are eligible)
  • projects outside the Whangārei District 
  • retrospective projects, including funding for work already completed or debt repayment
  • activities that duplicate existing demonstration projects or pilot studies
  • rental leases
  • funding deposited into personal bank accounts (only organisational accounts are accepted)
  • waste minimisation projects already receiving Ministry for the Environment funding or Council funding
  • specialist or private recycling programmes, such as:
    • soft plastics recycling
    • bottle cap collections
    • liquid paperboard (e.g. Tetra Pak) recycling
  • individuals working on private projects (must be a registered business)
  • general recycling service fees.

Assessment criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria. Ensure your proposal reflects these key areas:

1. Strategic alignment

Projects must align with the strategic waste minimisation objectives and guiding principles of the Whangarei District Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.

2. Waste minimisation

Proposals must contribute to reducing landfill waste and / or target priority waste streams, achieving measurable waste minimisation outcomes.

  • Target priority waste streams

Note: Educational projects must specifically promote waste minimisation and not general environmental education.

3. Community participation and benefit

  • Projects should actively engage the local community within the Whangārei District, encouraging waste reduction.
  • Proposals should create tangible community benefits, though private sector benefits may also be considered.

4. Value for investment

  • Proposals building on existing initiatives should add value and bring a fresh approach.
  • Where possible, proposals should address gaps in Council waste services and create new waste reduction opportunities.
  • Collaboration with other waste-related initiatives is encouraged.
  • Projects must provide a good return on investment, considering both risk and benefit.
  • The proposal should not duplicate or undermine existing initiatives.
  • Funds must be used within 12 months, with projects commencing within three months of funding approval.
  • Funding can cover operational or capital expenditure related to waste minimisation.
  • Applicants must be a legally recognised entity with a bank account in the group's name.

5. Quality of proposal

  • Clear objectives must be stated, including which waste streams are being addressed and how.
  • The applicant must demonstrate capacity to deliver the project, ideally with experience in similar initiatives.
  • Objectives must be measurable, with quantifiable waste diversion outcomes.
  • Projects with proven landfill waste diversion must include data on the amount of each waste stream diverted.
  • Proposals must be technically and financially feasible and not pose an unacceptable level of risk to the Council.

By addressing these criteria in your proposal, you improve your chances of securing funding for your waste minimisation project.

All funding decisions made by Whangarei District Council are final.

Recipients may apply for future funding rounds only if they have submitted a completed accountability report for any previous waste minimisation funding received from the Council.

Apply for Waste Minimisation Fund

Online

Step 1.Read the application guidelines

Read the Waste Minimisation Fund application guidelines first.

Waste Minimisation Fund application guidelines(PDF, 197KB)

Step 2.Check eligibility

Ensure your application meets both the general eligibility criteria and the specific fund assessment criteria.

Eligibility criteria

Step 3.Gather documents

You will need to provide supporting documents with your application.

Required documents

Step 4.Log into SmartyGrants

Log into our SmartyGrants portal using your credentials.

If it is your first time using SmartyGrants, please read the help information below. You can find out about registering and also about creating a SmartyFile account to manage your organisational account.

SmartyGrants help

Step 5.Complete application

Fill in our online application form on our portal and upload any supporting documents.

SmartyGrants portal (wdc.smartygrants.com.au)

If you need help to complete the online application, please make an appointment with us:

Email: funding@wdc.govt.nz
Phone: 09 430 4200

Step 6.Assessment

We will let you know if any further information is required.

Step 7.Decision

In making our funding decisions, we consider the: 

  • viability of your idea
  • quality of your plan and budget
  • potential impact and benefits of your project for the participants and the community.

Allow two months for a decision and processing. 

Step 8.Report back

If your application is successful, you must provide a report on your project, including:

  • the amount and type of waste diverted from landfill – estimate if needed
  • key milestone updates at three months, at six months and a final report
  • receipts of expenditure 
  • projects must start and acknowledge funding within three months of receiving funding.

You must acknowledge Whangarei District Council’s support in all project promotions.

Where the funds come from

When rubbish is disposed of in a New Zealand landfill, a $60 per tonne levy is collected by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE). A portion of this levy is allocated to Whangarei District Council based on population.

These funds must be used to promote or achieve waste minimisation, in alignment with our Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2023.

School waste systems

A one-off grant is available to support schools in purchasing recycling or compost bins.

  • Funding amount: Up to $3,000 per school, based on school size.
  • Funding cap: $1,000 per 250 students per site / campus.

This grant is available to public schools, kura, kindergartens and kōhanga reo within the Whangārei District to help improve waste minimisation through recycling and composting initiatives.

Application requirements

  • A recent quote (less than one month old) must be provided with your application.
  • Specialist or private recycling programmes (e.g. soft plastics, bottle cap collections or liquid paperboard recycling) are not eligible for funding.

Ensure you attach a valid quote when submitting your application.

Community event waste minimisation education package

This package is designed to support community event organisers in implementing effective waste minimisation practices. It is available for up to 10 free community events held on Council land.

Why this matters

We aim to:

  • educate event organisers on waste minimisation and sustainable event planning
  • provide hands-on training from waste management experts, including support in creating and implementing an event waste plan
  • offer funding assistance for waste education and basic waste minimisation costs.

This is a one-time application, with the expectation that events become self-sufficient in waste management for future years.

What’s included?

  • Two Creative Northland Waste Stations (12 waste bins available for hire).
  • Up to five hours of practical event waste management support with Wasteless:
    • One hour pre-event: Planning session to create a waste management plan.
    • Three hours at the event: Hands-on support for setting up waste stations and managing waste.
    • One hour post-event: Debrief and review of waste management outcomes.
  • Composting support: One wheelie bin of compostable materials can be dropped off at Eco Solutions for sorting and composting.

Any additional needs must be covered by the organiser. This package provides essential tools and guidance to help events reduce waste and operate more sustainably.