Greater Vernon Area residents with green ideas that could cut waste in the region are urged to apply for this grant before its Halloween deadline.
The Regional District of North Okanagan’s 2021 ReTHINK Waste Grant is now open for applications and this year, $50,000 is available to support eligible projects.
Individuals, businesses, community groups and non-profits are all allowed to apply and applicants can request funding for up to 50 per cent of the project’s total cost.
“For this grant program, we really want to encourage applicants to ReTHINK waste by prioritizing the first two R’s, Reduce and Reuse and consider initiatives that support the development of a circular economy,” RDNO’s environmental coordinator Darren Murray said Aug. 28.
A circular economy, he said, is designed to keep waste out of the system while keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible.
“For instance, repairing products and identifying reuse options helps achieve this,” he said. “A liner economy, by contrast, is designed to take raw materials to make a product, which is thrown away after its use. The linear make-take-waste approach takes up limited landfill space, uses up finite resources and is very polluting.”
Potential projects could involve community sharing initiatives, salvaging materials for reuse, product repair events and courses, research projects, reducing food waste, waste reduction education events, policy amendments and the development of waste reduction equipment.
To apply and learn more, visit rdno.ca/rethink.
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