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The Rebates Program aims to support targets identified in the NSW Waste and Materials Strategy 2041 (WaSM), including:

• reducing total waste generated by 10% per person by 2030
• achieving an 80% average recovery rate from all waste streams by 2030
• tripling the plastics recycling rate by 2030
• phasing out problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025
• halving the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030
• significantly increasing the use of recycled content by governments and industry.

The objectives of the Rebates Program are to:

• avoid or divert new tonnes of waste generated by businesses from landfill
• help businesses transition to a circular economy by targeting actions higher on the waste hierarchy (e.g. avoiding or re-using waste above recycling, and upcycling above downcycling)
• support the transition away from problematic, unnecessary and single-use plastics, and
• reduce organic waste going to landfill and support the introduction of mandatory food-waste collections from targeted businesses, commencing from 2025.

Businesses applying for the Rebates Program must:

• currently have a commercial and industrial (C&I) waste service at a site in NSW
• currently have a valid ABN and employ one or more full time employees in NSW, and
• currently send C&I waste to landfill in NSW or process/recycle C&I waste generated by businesses.

Businesses can include entities that are registered charities, not-for-profits, public entities (including schools and hospitals), and government organisations. 

This grant provides tailored advice and assistance to councils and groups of councils to undertake joint procurement of waste management service(s) or waste infrastructure (plan phase).

The objectives of the Joint Procurement Funded Support are to:

• support councils to access the best advice and to be confident in their procurement decisions
• facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and partnerships to help councils strategically plan and deliver waste infrastructure and services
• support groups of councils to procure cost effective waste management services and/or waste management infrastructure
• promote alignment or harmonisation of services between councils
• Support councils to meet waste and resource recovery targets in their transition to a circular economy

Who can apply

• All NSW councils - (as defined in the NSW Local Government Act).​
• Regional Organisations of Councils (ROCs)
• Regional Waste Groups
• Joint Organisations (JO’s)​

NSW councils remain eligible if they partner with councils outside of NSW (however, the lead council must be a NSW council). 

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is working to reduce good quality food suitable for human consumption from being disposed to landfill. The Food Rescue Rebates are available to expand food rescue and relief capacity to safely manage increasing amounts of rescued food in NSW. The rebates are part of a suite of organics programs available to support NSW to halve organics waste to landfill by 2030.

The objectives of this rebate program are to:

• increase the diversion (i.e. rescue) of quality food suitable for human consumption from landfill
• support NSW food rescue and relief organisations to expand their capacity to manage increasing amounts of rescued food to provide to the community
• provide a simplified funding alternative for small food rescue and relief projects.

Eligible applicants can submit an application for funding up to $2,000 (inc. GST) per financial year, per eligible address.