Councils invited to apply for grants to boost circular economy
The second round of the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund launched on 21 October, with local councils and alpine resort management boards invited to apply for funding to kick-start or progress circular economy projects, while driving local jobs.
The $5.9 million grant fund aims to divert waste from being sent to landfill (with a goal of 6,000 tonnes diverted over four years – that’s equivalent to 1,818 garbage trucks!).
Other circular economy projects previously funded through this grant will increase the use of reused, repurposed and recycled materials, such as repair and reuse centres, composting facility infrastructure and investigating mobile sharing sheds for camping gear and gardening equipment.
A highly successful first round of the fund earlier this year saw $1.735 million awarded by the State Government to local councils for 26 projects.
Some of the exciting projects to come from that round include a feasibility study into a commercial textile recycling facility in Darebin and a new Resource Recovery Centre in Wyndham to divert timber, green-waste, cardboard, concrete, soil and other valuable recyclables from landfill. The City of Ballarat will use their grant to move one step closer to developing a Circular Economy Business Precinct.
This second round of the Recycling Victoria Councils Fund will be separated into two streams, with the feasibility stream opening first in October 2021 and the implementation stream opening in early 2022.
Funded projects will receive grants of up to $80,000 for feasibility grants and up to $500,000 for implementation.
Councils are encouraged to amplify their impact by working together to develop creative joint solutions to waste, such as the purchase of shared processing equipment. Sustainability Victoria was delighted and inspired by the amount of collaboration between councils for the first round.