Got an idea to reduce waste in your community, school or business?
Auckland Council's Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF) is back, with $500,000 available to support projects that reduce waste and help build a circular economy in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Applications open from 1 to 31 August 2026, with grants ranging from $1,000 to $50,000.
Councillor Richard Hills says the fund supports Aucklanders who are leading practical solutions to some of the region's biggest waste challenges.
"Reducing waste is one of the biggest opportunities we have to lower emissions, protect our environment and make better use of valuable resources.
“Through the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund, we're investing in the people, organisations and businesses leading practical solutions that help move Auckland towards its goal of zero waste by 2040."
Previous WMIF projects have already delivered impressive results:
- Ae Ka Taea e Koe helped three Kōhanga Reo adopt reusable nappies, keeping an estimated 2,836 disposable nappies out of landfill during a two-month pilot. Two of the Kōhanga Reo have continued using cloth nappies full-time.
- Community Threads engaged more than 1,200 people in textile repair and upcycling activities, diverting an estimated 867kg of textiles from landfill.
- Para Kore Marae's He Mana tō te Kai programme helped participating whānau reduce food waste by 38 per cent.
The fund is also supporting new initiatives including:
- E Tū Rākau Charitable Trust's mobile Resource Lab to help communities rethink waste; and
- University of Auckland’s development of a child-safe composting system for Auckland schools.
This year, applicants are encouraged to focus on reducing organic waste, plastics, packaging, textiles, and construction and demolition waste.
The fund is open to community groups, businesses, mana whenua, mataawaka, schools, early childhood centres, tertiary institutions and other organisations based in the Auckland region. Applicants must be a legal entity.
To make funding easier to access, Auckland Council introduced a simplified application process last year for schools and small grants under $5,000. The streamlined process has already helped increase participation from schools and smaller community organisations.
Applications can be made online from 1 August.
Visit the main Auckland Council website to check eligibility, learn more about the fund and submit an application before 31 August 2026.