Resource Recovery Fund
Community groups and small businesses who want to bring their sustainable idea to life are one step closer thanks to our contestable fund.
Applications for 2026 are now open. The fund will stay open until all the money is allocated, or 30 June 2026 (whichever comes first).
Apply today
The fund is available to projects that promote or contribute to reducing, reusing, and recycling items, with an overall goal of reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfill. Eligible projects include education programmes, community events, trials, pilots and research and development initiatives.
Funding grants vary between $2,500 and $15,000 per project.
We’re committed to being an eco-city and our Waste Management and Minimisation Plan has a goal of increasing the amount of waste diverted from landfill by 50 per cent by 2030. We can’t do it alone, so helping empower the community in this space is crucial to help achieve our targets.
The money for this grant comes from the government funding we receive annually for resource recovery services.
Funding priorities
The Resource Recovery Fund is specifically for new and existing projects in Palmerston North that:
- Reduce the amount of waste created
- Reuse or upcycle end of life material
- Recycle waste material
- Align with actions in the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.
Funding opportunities
Grants are dependent on evidence that the applicant meets the funding criteria.
- Grants are contestable once per year, and applicants can apply for funding for as many projects as they like.
- $40,000 is available each year to be distributed, for grants between $2,500 and $15,000.