Bin Trim Equipment Rebates Program

The NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 (WaSM) sets out targets to achieve an average of 80% recovery rate across all waste streams and a 10% reduction in waste per person by 2030. Currently, the C&I sector recycling rate is 50% and 2.4 million tonnes of waste from businesses was sent to landfill in 2023-24. More is needed to be done to reduce waste, increase recycling and transition to a circular economy. 

To increase workplace recycling, the WaSM provides businesses with rebates covering up to 50% of the cost of small-scale, on-site recycling equipment or technology that helps them to avoid, reduce, reuse, or recycle their waste.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Further information about these types of equipment and technologies can be found on Planet Ark’s Small Scale Recycling Equipment Catalogue.

The NSW EPA supports innovation and any questions regarding the Guidelines or eligibility criteria should be discussed with the EPA prior to application. Any deviation from the program guidelines is up to EPA’s discretion.

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.

The NSW EPA supports innovation and any uncertainties about these Guidelines or eligibility criteria should be discussed with the EPA prior to application.

Each business group is eligible for a rebate between $1,000 and $50,000 for 50% co-contribution of the capital cost or lease of the equipment or technology. This excludes GST, design, delivery fees, installation or commissioning fees, labour, maintenance, training or operational costs such as electricity. 

The total rebate amount available depends on the tonnes of waste that the equipment or technology will avoid or divert, with thresholds varying by waste type: 

Table 1 Rebate funding thresholds by waste type

The applicant must use the Bin Trim app to undertake a waste assessment and complete the My Rebate Calculator (available after completion of the waste assessment) to provide the EPA with data demonstrating the waste outcomes of using the equipment, including the extent to which waste is avoided, redesigned, reused, remanufactured, or recycled.

An individual business or business group can receive the maximum of $50,000 in tranches via more than one successful application for the Rebates Program. The limit is to ensure equitable access for all NSW businesses to the Rebates Program. 

If a business group has received rebate(s) of $50,000 in 50% co-contribution and wishes to apply for additional rebates, they can contact [email protected] to discuss what options are available. For example, the EPA may consider applications from brand members with multiple store layouts that want to apply for additional rebates (maximum of $250,000) to trial resource recovery options in each store format. 

Additional rebates are at the sole discretion of the EPA.

Funding will be delivered as follows: 

• 70% at the completion of Step 3: Submit Milestone 1 Report (see application steps below for more details)
• 30% at the completion of Step 5: Submit Milestone 2 Report (see application steps below for more details)

In this section, business group means members, affiliates or owners of a business, brand, trademark, franchise or licence, or any kind of subsidiaries or parent companies through common ownerships or equity.

Leased equipment or technology is eligible for up to $10,000 in 50% co-contribution funding with a minimum lease period of 12 months (First Lease). 

At the end of the First Lease, the applicant can:

• re-apply for a second rebate to extend the lease for up to $10,000 in 50% co-contribution funding for a minimum lease of 12 months (Second Lease), or
• purchase the equipment (or similiar) for up to $40,000 in 50% co-contribution funding for the same or similar equipment.

At the end of the Second Lease, the applicant can:

• re-apply for a third rebate to extend the lease for up to $10,000 in 50% co-contribution funding for a minimum of 12 months, or
• purchase the equipment (or simliar) for up to $30,000 in 50% co-contribution funding for the same or similar equipment.

The funding available to any one business group for leased (and subsequently purchased, if applicable) equipment will be a total of up to $50,000 in 50% co-contribution.

Up to 3 months before applying for the Rebates Program, applicants must complete a waste assessment using the Bin Trim app or they can engage a trained Bin Trim assessor to do the waste assessment. Note: equipment suppliers can complete Bin Trim waste assessments on behalf of the business however they cannot complete rebate applications on behalf of businesses.

The assessment will quantify the amount and type of materials in the business’ general waste (landfill) and any recycling streams. It can take from one to three hours for smaller businesses and from two to four hours for larger organisations.

As part of the initial waste assessment, the Bin Trim App will:

• produce a 'Waste and Recycling Action Plan' (WARA Plan) outlining actions to avoid, reduce, re-use, and recycle waste from landfill, and determine if the equipment meets the EPA’s rebate funding thresholds (see table 1 in Funding available section).

As part of the initial waste assessment, the applicant must consider:

• equipment or technology and staff processing capacity and whether this will limit the amount of waste that can be processed, and
• equipment or technology requirements such as space, energy, water, running costs, maintenance, and capital expenditure costs of any supporting infrastructure (e.g. shelters and signage).

Businesses can contact [email protected] to access free support to navigate the Bin Trim App, complete their rebate application and to access a trained Bin Trim assessor.

After completing the waste assessment, the Bin Trim app will prompt potential applicants to complete the My Rebate Calculator feature. Applicants will select the waste materials to be handled by the proposed equipment and enter the cost of the equipment based on the preferred quote received. This information and data from the waste assessment is used to calculate the potential Bin Trim Equipment Rebate that the applicant is eligible for before starting a rebate application.

Applicants can then copy the webpage link to their My Rebates Calculator and paste this link in the appropriate section in the Rebates Application.

Recycling vs avoiding, reducing and reusing waste

Recycling is a great way to stop materials going to landfill and process materials for use in new products. There are other actions that stop waste from being created in the first place (known as “upstream” or circular economy solutions), including avoiding/reducing and reusing materials, and these should be prioritised above recycling.

Carefully read the definitions below to determine what term relates to your equipment. If applying for equipment that avoids/reduces or reuses waste materials, there will be an option to select it in the My Rebates Calculator.

Sources:

• Ellen Macarthur Foundation article – Recycling and the circular economy: what’s the difference? (24 February 2021)
• The waste hierarchy (20 October 2022)
• Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001

After completing steps 1 and 2, a business can apply online to the Rebates Program via SmartyGrants, the NSW EPA’s portal for grants, by submitting an Application. To support rebate applications, the following documents must be uploaded:

• copies of current waste bill(s)
• a minimum of 2 quotes for equipment or technology that represent a reasonable market price, from the applicant’s suppliers of choice and a confirmation of which equipment the applicant intends to purchase. Quotes must show that the equipment will have at least 12-month warranty.
• bank account details where the grant payment is to be made on a business letterhead, and
• copy of My Rebates Calculator webpage link (available after completing the Bin Trim waste assessment)
• any other supporting documentation (e.g. an Excel spreadsheet with additional project data).

Applicants will receive an acknowledgement of their application after submission via SmartyGrants. If an acknowledgement email is not received, applicants should contact [email protected] 

The EPA will assess complete applications within 4-6 weeks. Applications that are missing information, will be rejected and must be re-submitted.

Applications are assessed against the eligibility criteria and adherence to program guidelines. 
If the application is approved, the EPA will send a Letter of Offer and Funding Deed to the applicant. If the application is not approved, the EPA will send a letter to applicants advising them that their application is rejected.

Successful applicants may not receive the full amount requested, and funding offers may be subject to special, as well as general, conditions of funding (such as requested inclusions or changes to the project).

In addition to eligibility requirements, successful applicants will be required to sign and return a Funding Deed confirming commitment to comply with conditions of the funding, including:

• meet and continue to comply with all eligibility criteria in these Guidelines for the term of the Funding Deed
• comply with the conditions contained in the Funding Deed, including milestone dates, reporting requirements and general and special conditions
• comply with all planning and environmental laws, and regulatory and policy requirements of NSW and the Commonwealth, including all public health orders, COVID-19 safety orders, or other related orders
• contribute minimum 50% to the cost of Equipment/Technology
• appropriately install, operate and maintain the Equipment/Technology for the term of the Funding Deed for purchased equipment or 12 months for leased equipment
• provide staff training and comply with Work Health and Safety procedures appropriate to the Equipment/Technology
• acknowledge the funding source on all publications, externally distributed reports, websites and publicity material relating to the funded project/s. Organisations must provide the EPA with a copy of all publicity material before it is published or released and must not publish or release publicity material containing the NSW Government or the EPA’s logo without the EPA’s approval.
• be subject to an independent audit to verify ongoing performance
• ensure supporting waste data is entered into the Bin Trim App either by an EPA funded or trained waste assessor, waste consultant or via self-assessment using the Bin Trim App.
• Applicants may be required to repay the rebate if they do not adhere to the requirements of these guidelines and their funding deeds.

Please contact [email protected] for a copy of the Funding Deed template.

The Funding Deed must be signed and returned by the applicant within 30 days. The EPA may withdraw the offer unless an extension to accept the offer is requested by the applicant via [email protected] and approved by the EPA. If the EPA does not receive an extension request in this timeframe, a letter will be sent to applicant advising them that their application is withdrawn.

Successful applicants must comply with the conditions contained in the Funding Deed, including milestone dates, general and special conditions. For changes to the funding deed conditions, requests must be submitted using Schedule A Change Request and Approval Form in the Funding Deed for the EPA’s consideration and approval. The business applicant must report changes to the EPA such as equipment or technology availability, changes to the rebate amount, thresholds or estimated outcomes.

Successful applicants must also ensure compliance with all planning and environmental laws and regulatory and policy requirements in NSW.

Within 3 months of signing the Funding Deed, the applicant must procure (purchase or lease), install and commence use of the equipment or technology as outlined in the Funding Deed.

The EPA may withdraw the offer unless an extension to install the equipment is requested and approved via [email protected] 

Equipment or technology procured, leased or installed before the rebate application is approved will not be eligible for funding. This includes entering into contracts to purchase or lease the equipment or technology before the rebate application is approved.

The applicant must:

• ensure purchased equipment or technology has a minimum 12-month warranty
• ensure the equipment or technology meets all applicable standards, approvals and local government requirements
• take all reasonable precautions in engaging tradespersons to undertake work in connection with the Rebates Program including ensuring equipment or technology is installed by a licensed tradesperson(s) where required by law, and
• implement prioritised measures, actions and recommendations made in the WARA Plan.

Within 3 months of the applicant signing the Funding Deed, the applicant must submit Milestone 1 Report, online via SmartyGrants.

The following documents must be submitted with this report:

• proof of purchase: a receipt or invoice showing proof of purchase and payment for the equipment or technology in full OR a copy of the lease agreement with a receipt showing proof of the first payment
• proof of payment: evidence of transfer of funds from applicant to equipment supplier in the form of a bank statement or other suitable evidence to show the payment has been made from applicant to supplier
• 2 photos or video of the equipment or technology in operation

Within 30 days of receiving a complete Milestone 1 Report, the EPA will process and approve the Milestone 1 payment (70% of the approved rebate amount awarded in the Funding Deed).

If the procured equipment is less than quoted, the rebate paid will be adjusted to only contribute up to 50% of the procurement price. If the procured equipment is more than quoted, the EPA will only provide the amount awarded. The rebate amount will not be increased.

The EPA will make payment by EFT using the bank details provided by the applicant.

Good and Services Tax (GST) does not apply to payments made under the Rebates Program. The rebate payment satisfies the non-commercial test making it GST exempt and the rebate is for equipment costs excluding GST.

Between 3 to 6 months after the applicant installs and commences use of the equipment or technology, the applicant must complete a follow-up waste assessment using the Bin Trim app.

The follow-up waste assessment will produce a report which includes prioritised actions and recommendations in accordance with the WARA Plan and the equipment or technology installed and progress on delivering objectives agreed in the Funding Deed.

The data will also be used for the Milestone 2 Report to determine the success of the project and the rebate funding.

After the follow-up waste assessment is complete, the applicant must submit Milestone 2 Report online via SmartyGrants.

The Milestone 2 Report will include:

• a detailed report of all tasks completed
• an evaluation report on project measures and waste data, noting achievements, key outcomes and any differences, and
• waste diversion rates, including volumes avoided and recycled and achievement of the EPA’s rebate thresholds.

The following documents must be submitted with this report: 

• 2 recent photos or videos of the equipment or technology in operation
• copies of the most recent waste bills
• any further information or proof supporting project outcomes and objectives specified in the Funding Deed
• for leasing, copies of tax invoices for lease payments and proof of payment such as bank statements/receipts
• for rebates where food waste is the target material, photos of signage that encourages correct food waste separation and photos of separation of waste occurring in the operational setting.

The applicant must facilitate a site visit by EPA staff or a Program auditor, if requested, for an independent audit to verify performance.

Within 30 days of receiving a complete Milestone 2 Report, the EPA will process and approve the Milestone 2 payment (30% of the approved rebate value).

For purchased equipment or technology, the applicant must continue operation and maintenance of the equipment or technology for the term of the Funding Deed from the date of installation. The applicant must not sell the equipment or technology within that period unless to purchase an upgraded item. The applicant must notify the EPA of any upgrade.

For leased equipment or technology, the applicant must continue the lease, operation and maintenance of the equipment or technology for a minimum of 12 months from the date of installation.

During the above periods, the applicant must:

• participate in auditing, monitoring and evaluation activities undertaken by the EPA to track the progress and long-term outcomes of the Rebate Program, such as participating in interviews or completing surveys
• at all reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, allow EPA officers, third party auditors and Program auditors contracted by the EPA, access to the business site, and make available records for the EPA and their contractors to discuss, review and assess the ongoing performance of the equipment or technology. The audit process may involve a follow up Bin Trim assessment after 12 months to ensure the equipment is still being used as per the accepted Funding Deed.