Recycling Victoria Communities Fund Grants – Funded projects

Details of recipients of Recycling Victoria Communities Fund grants. The grants supported local community initiatives that engage the community in local circular economy solutions.

For background, view the Recycling Victoria Communities Fund guidelines.

Fund recipients

Round 1

Acres and Acres Co-op Ltd

Establishing a community commercial-scale worm farm using organic waste collected from local businesses and other facilities (2 short term jobs).

Funding: $49,500

Antiochian Community Support Association (ACSA)

Repairing and upcycling donated uniforms and clothing, which will be donated to second-hand clothing distributors (0.5 short term job).

Funding: $48,600

Big Group Hug

Collecting and upcycling pre-loved items for children (from newborns to teens). Distributing the items to families experiencing hardship, in Western Melbourne and surrounding areas.

Funding: $235,472

Circular Economy Victoria Inc

Supporting the City of Hume community in transitioning to more circular ways of living by making changes at a local government, industry, and community level (1 short term job).

Funding: $58,562

Cultivating Community Incorporated

Establishing a sustainability hub to support community education through activities such as composting and worm towers.

Funding: $59,000

Fixable Pty Ltd

Establishing a website comprising: a directory of local repair businesses, repair amateurs and hobbyists a marketplace to buy, sell, rent, lend, borrow and give away spare parts, tools and repaired items a community channel to make repair and reuse easier for residents, businesses and organisations.

Funding: $48,040

Geelong Sustainability Group Inc

Engaging around 300 participants in an 8- to 12-week mobile app-based competition during Geelong Design Week (March 2022).

Funding: $58,880

Leadership Great South Coast Inc

Repurposing, refurbishing and distributing donated children's goods (such as nursery items, prams, car seats, clothing, toys and books) to families in need in the Port Fairy area.

Funding: $45,644

Living Learning Pakenham Inc

Building a network of community composting hubs.

Funding: $249,606

Maker Community Inc

Purchasing industrial woodworking tools for the community repair café.

Funding: $58,980

Neighbourhood Collective Australia Ltd

Establishing an op-shop and a ‘slow fashion hub’ (2 short term jobs).

Funding: $55,969

OzHarvest

Expanding their food rescue service by adding a new van to collect and distribute food in greater Melbourne.

Funding: $230,000

Reground Pty Ltd

Expanding their current coffee grounds collection service to serve another 19 local government areas and 100 businesses.

Funding: $170,000

Shanghai Rebel/Assembled Threads

Establishing a community manufacturing hub to make high-visibility industrial uniforms from recycled PET plastic and deliver them in bio-degradable compostable bags.

Funding: $58,330

Span Community House

Expanding their current community composting program to include a range of reuse, recycling and repairing initiatives (0.6 short term job).

Funding: $57,912

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc

Equipping Vinnie’s 111 stores in Victoria with the resources to: resell donated electrical items; upskill staff and volunteers in testing and tagging electrical donations.

Funding: $249,820

Tangaroa Blue Foundation

Expanding their current ‘Strain the drains’ project by installing 158 additional litter traps across 7 local government areas. This includes sharing findings on the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database, analysing and mapping pollutant locations, and holding events to change littering behaviour in the community.

Funding: $202,890

The Hub Foundation

Establishing 10 neighbourhood compost hubs in the backyards of participating households (2.2 short term jobs).

Funding: $59,098

Upper Goulburn Landcare Network

Dehydrating and composting organic waste from local hospitality businesses, a florist, and a fruit and vegetable shop (0.1 short term job).

Funding: $58,820

Western District Employment Access (WDEA)

Repairing and recycling clothing and household items to sell through The Big Shed (1 short term job).

Funding: $59,000

Whittlesea Community Connections

Establishing a repair cafe at Mernda Community House – this will be the first repair cafe in the City of Whittlesea (0.4 direct short term jobs).

Funding: $45,848

Wholefood Unwrapped Collective

Reducing the amount of packaging being used in the hospitality and food service sector by creating reusable containers (such as tubs, crates and insulated bags) for food transportation.

Funding: $58,640

Yarra Valley ECOSS

Establishing a ReCycle Repair hub where youth can receive training on how to recycle old bicycles (4 short term jobs).

Funding: $57,657