Waste reduction projects funded across Liverpool City Region

Fifteen organisations in the Liverpool City Region will share £165,000 from the Zero Waste Community Fund 2026/27, delivered by Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia, to support projects promoting waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

Lesley Worswick, chief executive of MRWA, said: "The Zero Waste Community Fund is about turning inspiring ideas into lasting environmental action.

"We have awarded 15 projects that demonstrate exactly how we can rethink our relationship with 'waste' — transforming it instead into a resource for our communities.

"We eagerly anticipate the results of their hard work as they help us build a cleaner, greener, and healthier region for everyone."

The selected projects address priority waste streams such as food, textiles, furniture, plastics, and electricals, all identified by MRWA as materials with significant potential for reuse or recycling.

The Mencap Liverpool & Sefton project Fix Up, Look Sharp is one of the projects set to benefit from the funding (Image: Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority)

In St Helens, several of the chosen projects will deliver education, hands-on activities, and practical support to reduce waste at the community level.

Vibe Charitable Incorporated Org will deliver its Swap Shop project across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, and St Helens, focusing on engaging young people aged 11 to 17.

The project will use a travelling education van to deliver sessions on fast fashion, second-hand clothing, upcycling, and sewing skills, while also hosting swap shops featuring donated, repaired, and upcycled clothing.

Merseyside Scouts will run its Scouting Towards Zero Waste programme across Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral.

This project focuses on food and plastic waste, using a trickle-down training model to equip 30 unit leads who will deliver up to five sessions in each area.

Alchemic Kitchen's Waste Not, Dance Lots project also includes St Helens among its target areas.

The organisations have until March 2027 to deliver their projects (Image: Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority)

The programme will host large-scale educational food events called Disco Chops—musical, interactive cook-alongs that use surplus vegetables.

It will also host a community day featuring apple gleaning and juice-making using unharvested fruit.

The 15 funded organisations will have until March 2027 to complete their projects, each designed to encourage long-term behaviour change and reduce the environmental impact of household waste across the region.