A NEW grant fund supporting communities and organisations to help people waste less has been launched by Hampshire County Council.

To mark European Week for Waste Reduction, the county council is inviting applications for up to £5,000 to support them in delivering projects, products and services which prevent household waste.

Rob Humby, the county council’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “Dealing with waste is a costly business for everyone. Local councils in Hampshire collectively spend £100m each year dealing with the county’s waste, so reducing the amount of household waste produced could make a big difference.

“We know that some of the best work in waste reduction goes on at a local level with groups sharing knowledge or providing facilities and we want to encourage these initiatives and inspire more.”

In 2015, Hampshire County Council launched its Smart Living initiative to encourage people to make small changes to their lifestyles which would lead to big savings.

Mr Humby continued: “The Smart Living initiative has so far made great progress, and many Hampshire residents have taken the ideas on board, reducing the amount of food they waste and donating household items to charity.

“There is some great work going on, but I know that limited funding can sometimes prevent good work expanding, so I hope that community groups will be encouraged to apply to the grant and we look forward to seeing the variety of applications we receive.”

The closing date for applications for the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund is January 31.

Applicants are encouraged to discuss potential projects with the county council’s Smart Living team prior to submitting an application. To arrange a meeting, e-mail: [email protected].

For full eligibility criteria and more information on the grant, including how to apply, visit 3.hants.gov.uk/grants/environment-grants.