MRA awarded Bin Trim Networks Program grant

MRA has been awarded a Bin Trim Networks Program grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority. This is part of the $6 million commitment by the NSW Government to help around 4,000 small to medium businesses join the transition to a circular economy. 

This funding for the Circular Food Courts Project: Reusables and Food Waste Avoidance will allow MRA to work with food/beverage retailers in food courts across Sydney to reduce waste. MRA will assist businesses to avoid and recover food waste and reduce single-use packaging by supporting them to adopt reusable tableware, takeaway containers, cutlery, and cups.

In the first year, MRA is working with two Mirvac food courts to implement the project. Over the 3-year project, a total of 6 food courts will be supported in the transition to reusables.

This project aims to reduce waste to landfill by 60 tonnes per year. MRA will achieve this by undertaking free Bin Trim waste assessments, providing direct advice to businesses on how they can circularise their supply chains, and facilitating educational workshops with retailers to teach their staff how to avoid food waste. This circular opportunity could deliver significant cost savings for businesses and help them support the NSW Government’s target to halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030.

The popular NSW EPA Bin Trim Program has already supported more than 38,000 businesses save money and help the environment by diverting more than 260,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. The Bin Trim Networks Program is part of the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy backed by $356 million over five years. 

“MRA looks forward to launching the Circular Food Courts project which will make a huge difference in reducing business waste and embedding circular economy solutions into business operations”.

“The Bin Trim Networks Program grant will give us the ability to purchase equipment that will assist food and beverage retailers to phase out single-use plastics. This aligns with the phase out of problematic single-use plastic items by 2025 under the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2021.”

MRA Managing Director, Mike Ritchie

If your business is a small to medium enterprise in a food court, contact us to find out about the project and get a free Bin Trim waste assessment. MRA will provide project updates every few months on LinkedIn and our website – for more information, email circular@mraconsulting.com.au