A total of $13.3 million in grants is now available to councils, waste companies and not-for-profit organisations to divert food and garden waste from landfill.
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The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Head of Organics, Amanda Kane said the Organics Infrastructure (Large and Small) grants are part of the EPA's $802 million Waste Less Recycle More initiative and supports the establishment of infrastructure to rescue surplus food for people in need and recover food and garden waste to be recycled into compost.
"The grants support the purchase of a broad range of small and large infrastructure and equipment to recycle food and garden waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill," Ms Kane said.
"Councils and business have an opportunity to invest in infrastructure to start processing food waste as well as garden organics waste.
"From saving good food from becoming a waste to making the most of food waste as a resource, these grants are increasing the capacity of industry, local government and food charities to handle more food.
"Through the grant program $43 million has already been provided to fund 89 projects that have made a positive impact on local communities, including supporting food relief agencies to collect 8,500 tonnes of surplus food a year, the equivalent of 17 million meals."
The NSW EPA and Environmental Trust is inviting applications for funding under the grants across the following five different grant streams:
- Organics Processing Infrastructure - up to $3 million for new organics facilities or facility upgrades to process more NSW food and garden waste
- Onsite Business Recycling - up to $500,000 for infrastructure and equipment for on-site processing or pre-processing of source separated food and garden waste
- Food Donation Infrastructure - up to $500,000 to not-for-profit organisations for equipment to collect, store and redistribute quality surplus food to people in need
- Product Quality - up to $500,000 for equipment to improve recycled organics product quality
- Transfer Stations - up to $500,000 for infrastructure to establish new or upgrade existing transfer stations to receive food and garden waste
Environmental Trust Director Grants Tina Bidese said the grants are being delivered through a partnership between the EPA and the NSW Environmental Trust.
"Working together, the Trust and EPA are offering a major opportunity for matched investment in infrastructure to recover more food and garden waste," Ms Bidese said.
"In doing so, we're reducing the environmental impacts of organics waste in landfill and making the most of a valuable resource that can be recycled into compost where it benefits soils and helps crops grow."
Applications close 29 August 2019.
The EPA is hosting two webinars on 17 July 2019 to assist potential applicants. For more information and to register for the webinar, visit the EPA website here http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/wastegrants/organic-large-small.htm
