Funding available for local initiatives that tackle waste

Published on 16 April 2026

Applications are now open for Whanganui District Council’s Waste Minimisation Fund, supporting local projects that reduce waste and keep valuable resources in use for longer.  

There is $60,000 available each financial year across two funding rounds. The current funding round is open from now until Wednesday 27 May 2026.

The fund is open to community groups, businesses, Iwi and Hapū, education providers, and individuals within the Whanganui District with initiatives that reduce waste or increase reuse, repair and recycling.  

The council’s manager - waste services, Morgan Harrison, says the fund plays an important role in supporting practical, locally-led solutions to waste. 

“We know there are plenty of great ideas within our community on how to tackle waste. This fund helps remove some of the barriers to getting those ideas off the ground. Whether that’s trialling something new or providing a service that’s currently unavailable in our district to keep materials out of landfill for longer or avoid waste altogether.”  

Previous rounds have supported a range of projects, including food waste recovery efforts, construction waste recycling, and sustainable arts initiatives.  

One recent recipient is the Aramoho-based charitable trust Whanganui Enterprises (trading as Five Star) which received $5,000 to trial an e-waste recycling initiative.  

Whanganui Enterprises is a unique organisation that provides supported employment for people living with disabilities – with a focus on building confidence, skills and work experience to support pathways into open employment. Its team produces a range of products including dog kennels, outdoor furniture and recycling crate trolleys.  

Manager Stewart Mead says the funding enabled the trust to explore whether dismantling and recovering materials from unwanted electronics could be a viable addition to its operations.  

“For an organisation like ours, it’s important we continue finding ways to diversify our operations so that we can support more people into employment,” says Stewart.   

“We knew e-waste was a growing problem for landfills and that it often contains components of value, so we saw an opportunity to reduce waste while creating meaningful employment.”  

With the trial proving successful, Whanganui Enterprises is now contracted to dismantle and recycle components/materials from televisions, computer monitors and microwaves collected at the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre.  

The Waste Minimisation Fund is funded via the national Waste Disposal Levy, collected from landfill fees and distributed to councils to support waste reduction initiatives.   

For more information on how to apply, including eligibility and co-funding requirements, visit our Waste Minimisation Fund page.