Community groups in the Liverpool City Region are invited to apply for a share of £165,000 to support innovative projects that reduce waste and promote a greener future.

The Zero Waste Community Fund 2025/26 - managed by Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia - provides funding for community and voluntary groups, social enterprises, and not-for-profit organisations to implement projects that minimise household waste, maximise recycling and resource reuse, and mitigate carbon emissions.

Grants available 

Grants of up to £30,000 are available for projects that benefit at least four districts within the City Region, while grants between £1,000 and £8,000 are available for projects focused on a single local authority area.

Dedicated community groups

Councillor Catie Page, Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA), emphasised the vital role of community groups: "We deeply value our partnerships with the region's dedicated community groups. They are the heart of our communities, actively working to create a positive environmental impact. By empowering these groups to address local waste challenges, we not only benefit the environment but also foster a greater appreciation for resources and the value of reducing waste."

Five household materials

Bids must tackle one or more of the five priority household waste materials which have been identified by MRWA as key, namely WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment), Food, Textiles, Plastics and Furniture. An analysis of waste in the region highlighted that a greater amount of these materials could be re-used or recycled. Projects can also include other household waste materials, for example paper or metals.

Previous success

Previous Community Fund projects have included local recycling guidebooks, lending libraries, repair cafes, cookery clubs to support healthy eating and reduce food waste, fruit and veg gleaning, restoring old furniture to sell for charity and refurbishing unwanted rugs for resale.

One organisation to have previously received funding is Wirral Environmental Network (WEN), who were awarded £6300 for their Clothes Swap Cafes project, which aimed to reduce textiles waste through clothes swap events, sewing and repair workshops, and educational activities.

A sustainable approach to fashion

Naomi Graham, project co-ordinator at WEN, said the Zero Waste Community Fund Clothes Swap Cafe project has helped people across Wirral to take a more sustainable approach to fashion: “We have enjoyed getting to know the people who have attended our Sustainable Fashion workshops and volunteered at the Clothes Swaps. Through the workshops, we had discussions about the environmental costs of fast fashion, chatted about how to make greener clothing choices, and then upcycled unwanted clothes and fabric into items such as bags and hair scrunchies.

 “The success of the Clothes Swaps and workshops has encouraged some of the venues to hold more swapping events and think about ways they can provide support for reducing textile waste within their communities.”

Interested groups can use this link to apply to the Zero Waste Community Fund 2025/26.

The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Sunday 9th March 2025. 

Successful projects should receive the funding by mid-April 2025 and will have to deliver their schemes by March 2026.

Organisations interested in this year’s Community Fund can use this link to apply.