The City of Toronto recently released a request for applications to participate in its Waste Reduction Community Grants Program. The deadline for to submit an expression of interest is March 1, 2019.
The Waste Reduction Community Grants Program is part of the City’s Long Term Waste Management Strategy, which identifies the need to support grassroots initiatives that reduce waste. The program launched last year and awarded more than $116,000 toward ideas that included the development of signage and programming for tenants of a downtown building, establishment of a sharing library for special event materials for the community, educational training on reducing textile waste and making sustainable fashion choices, and a program aimed at reducing lunch packaging in schools.
Initiatives eligible for funding include those that promote waste reduction and reuse, increase waste management education and engagement, and align with the City’s Long Term Waste Management Strategy. Priority will be placed on initiatives that promote waste reduction in apartment buildings and condominiums, and involve multilingual communities, equity-seeking groups and Neighbourhood Improvement Areas.
City of Toronto Campaign: What happens when you recycle wrong
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Groups eligible to apply for funding include resident, tenant, neighbourhood and business associations, service clubs, community organizations, registered charitable organizations, environmental organizations and school groups, clubs and councils. The following eligibility criteria must be met to participate in the program:
- the project must demonstrate how it aligns with the Long Term Waste Management Strategy and supports the City’s aspirational Zero Waste goal;
- the organization must be incorporated and have non-profit status. Organizations without these prerequisites may apply if they enter into a trusteeship agreement with an incorporated non-profit organization; and
- your group/organization must fall into one of the eligible categories below.
The grants support the City’s Long Term Waste Management Strategy and reflect its guiding principles:
- working with community partners to enhance access to waste diversion programs;
- increasing public engagement; and
- working together to deliver services.
The strategy puts priority on reducing and encouraging the prevention of waste, maximizing its value before disposal, and supporting the move towards a circular economy. Waste diversion, which minimizes the amount of waste sent to landfill, follows reduction and reuse in order of priority.
More information about the Waste Reduction Community Grants, the 2018 recipients and the application process is available at https://www.toronto.ca/wastegrants.
For a detailed program overview, please refer to the Application Guidelines.
