Eco-Minded community groups in Edinburgh are being urged to get their skates on if they want to access grants of up to £2,500.

Thanks to the Waste Action Grant scheme, organisations can apply for funding from the City of Edinburgh Council to support waste-related community projects aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling.

Since the programme was launched in 2005, as part of the Council's Waste Aware Edinburgh Education Campaign, it has:

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•awarded £50,000 to local waste projects

•diverted 263.5 tonnes of waste from landfill

The latest deadline for grant applications is Monday 27 August. Around 20 grants are awarded annually of amounts ranging from £500 to £2,500, while smaller grants of £50 to £200 are available at any time of the year.

Environment Vice Convener Councillor Jim Orr said: "The Waste Action Grant scheme is an excellent way to inspire community groups to become more environmentally aware, and also to support ongoing initiatives. Several excellent projects have already benefited from this programme, and I would urge any group to apply for a slice of the funding."

Schemes which have already successfully applied for grants include the Inverleith Allotments Compost project, which involved communal compost bins to be used in a bid to reduce the dumping and burning of green waste.

(CD)