Zero Waste Funding on hold

The Zero Waste New Zealand Trust was established to encourage and motivate all sectors of New Zealand society to work towards a target of Zero Waste.

For some 9 years, to assist in the achievement of this goal,  funding was available from the Trust, to assist and promote waste reduction initiatives. Many millions of dollars were granted to community groups, non-profit organisations, and local authorities.   

The bulk of the funding was provided by the Tindall Foundation, and over a seven year period, great progress was made, with the start-up of hundreds of community activities, and the adoption of Zero Waste targets by many local authorities across New Zealand. The successes of groups supported by the Zero Waste Trust funds can be seen across the country, from Kaitaia to Waiheke, from Opotiki to Raglan, from Kaikoura to Wanaka. Further, as at today, some 71% of New Zealand Councils have zero waste targets, and in fact with the Waste Strategy of 2002, New Zealand became the first country in the world to adopt a target of Zero Waste!

With substantial achievement of their goals, the Tindall Foundation bowed out of funding activities in this area, in the belief that the responsibility for progressing waste minimisation should move across to the government. We agreed with this, and were happy to find that for the next two years, the MfE's Sustainable Management Fund granted worthwhile funds to continue these activities, using our Trust as their agent to consider applications for the types of activities common to smaller communities and Councils. Unfortunately this funding, while providing to a high level of demand in this area, has recently been discontinued, with the Ministry saying that they will deal directly with these applications themselves. We believe that their lengthy application process is not suited to these smaller scale applicants, and we are sad that we are unable to continue in this role. What we can see is that there is now a huge deficit in funding these waste minimisation activities right across the country, that the Sustainable Management Funding is not meeting this need, and that many recycling groups across the country are struggling to continue. There is a decline in the funding available, and this has been compounded by the dissolution of the CEG community funding programme.

We are hopeful that some good will come out of the Waste Minimisation (Solids) Bill that is currently before a Parliamentary Select Committee, and, optomistically, hope that in the future we may have some part to play once again, in helping with the funding of community groups and others in their endeavours to make New Zealand a more sustainable, clean and green country in which to live. In the meantime, the Zero Waste NZ Trust continues, we are still here, not able to help with funding, but providing help and advice as always ....

Please note that the funding procedures linked below and the right are at present on hold.  
 

2006 Round 1

Closed on Wednesday 8 March

2006 Round 2

Closed on Wednesday 31 May

Zero Waste Funding after these two rounds has not been planned.

This page was updated on 7 September, 2006.

See also 1. Funding Guidelines & Priority Area 2005 - 2006, 2. Eligible Projects, 3. Application Process & the form, 4. Fundee's Obligations & the report form, 5. Where to Apply