The Regional District of Nanaimo says they will be dividing up a $300,003 grant between five local organizations through the Zero Waste Recycling Fund program for 2024.
According to the district, the program was oversubscribed this year with requests totaling $637,000. They were ranked on a comparative basis, and only the eligible funds were distributed to the highest-ranked, successful, proposals.
The recipients of the grants will use the funds to divert waste in the region by providing education programs, repurposing waste products, creating resources local businesses can use to become more sustainable, and connecting organizations to share their ideals to mitigate waste for a higher community impact.
RDN chair Vanessa Craig says she is thrilled to see the progress the district has put forward to support waste reduction.
“We are excited to see the progress being made by the organizations receiving another Zero Waste grant and innovative ideas of first-time grantees,” she says. “These all have the potential to reduce waste and support a sustainable environment.
Director and solid waste management select committee chair Ben Geselbracht says he is proud of the community organizations for stepping up and taking initiative.
“The grants provided through the RDN’s Zero Waste Recycling Funding program will help these organizations implement programs and initiatives that will ultimately benefit the broader community and the environment,” he says.
Organizations were required to demonstrate their ideas by showing how their plan would act as a research and recycling hub for hard-to-recycle items, and operate programs including the reduction and redesign of materials, reprocessing of materials, and investigating barriers to recycling.
For a complete list of recipients and their projects visit the RDN’s website.
