Have you got an idea to up cycle or help recycle waste?

A new national waste prevention fund was launched this week.  The £800,000 Innovation in Waste Prevention Fund will “support communities to take forward innovative waste prevention, re-use and repair actions in their local areas, working in partnership with local businesses, authorities and civil society groups”. WRAP will deliver the scheme on behalf of Defra.

Mark David Hatwood, editor or Roseland Online and founder of the multi award winning CoBRA Scheme had an idea with Cornwall Councillor Julian German, to engage with Craft makers throughout the Roseland and South Central Cornwall in crating a UpCycle craft scheme, helping crafters get funded for a waste prevention scheme and create a great new local art scheme.

Mark told Roseland Online, “The scheme is open to any ideas, but as Julian and I are so busy, we’d be happy to point anyone in the right direction who would like to drive this upcycling initiative here. If you think it’s something you’d like to get involved with, please do get in touch with either of us.”

Grants of £5k – £50k are available, on a match-funding basis, to partnerships with creative ideas for preventing waste, including product design and re-use initiatives.  The Fund will run for two years and grants will be awarded in three phases.  The deadline for Phase one is 1 September 2014.

Details of the Fund and application packs are available on the WRAP website at http://www.wrap.org.uk/iwp. You can also join the Twitter conversation @Wrap_UK #WasteInnovate.

If you would like to take up the baton for Julian and Mark’s suggestion, please feel free to email: mark@roselandonline.co.uk to discuss the matter further.