Waste Less, Recycle More

Information about the NSW Government's transition from the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative to new funding opportunities guided by the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041: Stage One.

Grant funding opportunities under the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy are available on our Grants Calendar.

From 2012 to June 2022 the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative invested $802 million to deliver 3,347 projects as the largest waste and recycling funded program in Australia. The Waste Less, Recycle More report card (PDF 235KB) provides a summary of program achievements.

  • encouraging local communities to think differently about waste avoidance, recycling, littering and illegal dumping
  • delivering conveniently located, value-for-money waste infrastructure to make it easier for households and business to do the right thing
  • driving innovative regulatory approaches to protect the environment and support investment in new waste programs
  • providing industry an opportunity to identify new uses and markets for recyclable materials
 The EPA led the initiative, with some grant programs delivered in collaboration with the NSW Environmental Trust.

Waste Less, Recycle More funding priorities 2017-22 

In 2017, the NSW Government extended the Waste Less, Recycle More initiative with a further $337 million, taking the funding to June 2022. This extension allowed the continuation of work already underway to modernise the waste sector in NSW, deliver waste and recycling services to the community and ensure a clean environment.

The 2017-21 Waste Less, Recycle More extension brochure (PDF 0.5MB) provides details on the programs, priorities and grants under the extension.

The Waste Less, Recycle More grant program snapshot (PDF 198KB) contains a further breakdown of funding allocations.

Waste Less, Recycle More community benchmark study

The Waste Less, Recycle More community benchmark study (PDF 2.5MB) explores the motivations and behaviours of NSW householders about how they recycle and manage their waste at home.

This research provides a benchmark for monitoring changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to household waste management and recycling. The research was conducted with a representative sample of the NSW population and the results include recommendations on future strategies for programs looking to influence kerbside recycling, organics, problem wastes and illegal dumping. This piece of research will also assist in evaluating the effectiveness of these programs using tracking studies.

An executive summary and full report are available for download

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