Applications are open for Sustainability Victoria’s competitive grants programme to encourage organisations in the state to reduce packing waste disposed in landfill.
Grants of up to $50,000 are available through the Investment Support Grants – Packaging programme for small to medium enterprises, not-for-profits, and social enterprises.
According to Sustainability Victoria, an eligible project must reduce the generation of packaging waste; increase or improve recovery of packaging waste; manufacture packaging using recovered materials; or remanufacture using packaging waste.
Sustainability Victoria said that policy shifts in key markets for the state’s packaging waste have had considerable, negative impacts on the markets for these materials – primarily plastics, paper, and cardboard.
“The Investment Support Grants – Packaging will support small to medium sized enterprises, not-for-profits and social enterprises to overcome financial barriers associated with investing in projects that lead to packaging waste reduction, recovery and reuse,” the organisation said.
“To reduce the amount of packaging materials disposed of in landfill, we are supporting generators, recyclers and those that reuse packaging waste in Victoria to reduce waste generation, increase the quality and quantity of materials recovered and to grow demand for reuse.”
The programme can assist with a variety of projects including
- piloting new systems, processes or technologies;
- acquiring additional plant and equipment;
- expanding facilities to enable increased resource recovery on existing premises;
- enabling works to house new plant and equipment; or
- research, development, and demonstration.
Applications are open now and will close in March 2021 or when the funding is fully subscribed. Sustainability Victoria said it would aim to inform the applicant of the outcome within 30 days of submission, and projects must be completed within 12 months of signing a funding agreement.
