Bin Trim Equipment Rebates Program - Round 2

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.

NSW businesses

Businesses can apply for rebates for multiple items of equipment or technology in one application, up to the total rebate limit of $50,000.

Rebates may fund equipment or technology that:

• avoids or prevents waste being generated on site, or throughout the supply chain
• re-uses waste either on site or by another business
• provides an intervention to reduce waste in a manufacturing process, or throughout the supply chain
• enables redesign, resulting in reduction in waste generated during production
• directly supports food waste minimisation (e.g. milk dispensers) but does not increase waste generation (e.g. food vacuum sealers)
• improves recycling systems, source separation, and reduces contamination of recycling
• creates reuse opportunities (such as industrial dishwashers and return point infrastructure in food courts)
• promotes producer responsibility – for example, by providing an accessible facility for consumers to return packaging or other products to suppliers for reuse or recycling
• onsite equipment to pre-process food waste
• software/equipment to improve food ordering systems and avoid food waste
• can be shown to contribute to the eligible outcomes.

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.

Up to 50% of the capital costs for eligible equipment and technology excluding GST.

Individuals

• Equipment or technology procured, purchased or leased before application is approved
• Delivery, installation and commissioning fees.
• Administration or project management fees.
• Construction or labour costs.

The Rebate Program cannot be used for:

• projects that do not comply with NSW legislation and regulation, including:
• • Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021
  • EPA Resource Recovery Orders and Exemptions
  • Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014.
• equipment required for regulatory compliance, with the exception of the food organics mandate for businesses
• organic processing equipment, such as rapid decomposition or dehydrator units, where the output is discharged to sewers, applied to land, injected into soil or sent to landfill (output MUST be collected by an organic waste collection service)
• equipment that does not divert or avoid NEW tonnes of waste going to landfill, or improve service efficiency or reduce contamination in the organic waste stream
• equipment to be installed at premises that does not yet have planning approval or an environmental protection licence (if needed) to operate
• equipment where the overall project is dependant on other funding or activities yet to be approved
• generic equipment not used specifically for waste avoidance or diversion - for example, vehicles and refrigerators
• equipment intended for domestic household or construction and demolition waste
• reusable service ware items, such as cups, containers, plates/crockery or cutlery
• non-capital costs of the equipment, such as labour, cleaning and facility services, project management, design of equipment, maintenance and insurance of equipment, or operational costs (e.g. electricity)
• equipment already funded by another NSW Government or Commonwealth grant or rebate
• equipment that does not have a minimum 12-month warranty
• equipment that does not meet Australian Standards.

Examples of items, equipment and technologies that will not be funded include but are not limited to:

• apps for food donation or on-demand waste collection services
• collection costs of material or output from equipment
• source separation bins for the general waste stream (destined for landfill)
• compostable packaging materials
• garbage compaction units
• items that are subject to industry-led phase outs, such as problematic and unnecessary packaging, or packaging that contains PFAS.

Some examples of equipment and technologies that may be funded include but are not limited to:

• balers
• bulk bag stands and bulk bags
• cardboard perforator
• commercial worm farms
• compactors
• glass crushers
• granulators
• organics processing units, such as rapid decomposition or dehydration units (output from these units MUST be collected by an organic waste collection service)
• plastic injection moulders
• shredders
• smart scales and other food waste monitoring equipment
• source separation bins, wheelie bins, skip bins and other bin equipment – with bin signs and stickers
• trolleys to transport waste and maximise waste separation and diversion.

A minimum 50% co-contribution is required for all rebates.

The EPA reserves the right to make changes to any aspect of the program, including eligibility criteria, without notice.

To be eligible for the Rebates Program:

• The application must be prepared and submitted by an ‘Eligible applicant’ (specified above).
• The equipment or technology funded must be installed on the property of the applicant and commence operation within 3 months of the applicant signing a Funding Deed with the EPA.
• The equipment and technology funded must support the program objectives (specified above).
• Equipment cannot have been ordered, procured, leased or installed before the rebate application is approved by the EPA. This includes entering into contracts to purchase or lease the equipment or technology before the rebate application is approved.
• The equipment or technology must divert or avoid new tonnes of waste going to landfill (examples of the equipment or technology that may be funded are specified below). Where the equipment is complementing an existing food waste collection service, the applicant must demonstrate how it will increase recovery of additional food waste, reduce contamination or improve service efficiency and/or costs.
• For waste streams other than food organics, equipment must divert new tonnes of waste from landfill.
• The equipment or technology must meet the EPA’s rebate funding thresholds for diverting or avoiding waste (see table 1 in Funding available section).
• The equipment will reside on a site in NSW and divert waste that was generated in NSW.
• Purchased equipment or technology must be operated and maintained for the term of the Funding Deed.
• Leased equipment or technology must be leased, operated and maintained for a minimum of 12 months from the date of installation.
• Co-contribution from the business must be a minimum 50% of the cost to purchase or lease the equipment. This co-contribution must be a monetary payment and cannot include a payment in-kind.