A MALDON business is among the latest to benefit from a Love Essex micro-grant – and now individuals and organisations across the district are invited again to apply for cash from the fund set up to help reduce household waste.

Silo, the zero-waste store in Bright's Path, Maldon, was among 14 projects county-wide to receive a micro-grant in the last round of Love Essex funding.

The Love Essex Fund offers grants of up to £500 to support local organisations and individuals providing innovative ideas that promote repair, reuse and recycle and ultimately prevent waste being thrown away in the home.

A variety of green projects can apply for one of the micro-grants

Applications can include projects which hope to inspire people and communities to be creative and sustainable with their waste.

These can include schemes which provide skills or opportunties to build an environmentally-sustainable community. The current round of funding is open now and applications will be accepted until 1 November.

Councillor Simon Walsh, Essex County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change Action said: "We're looking for inspiring ideas that promote repair, reuse and recycle. From repair cafes to composting groups, if you have a great waste-reducing idea then why not apply for a grant to help kickstart the project?"

In the last round of funding 14 grants were given out and as well as Silo, other successful projects included:

• BabyStuff Braintree - An expansion of the existing store, providing enough storage space for the second-hand baby clothes and donated items.
• Castle Hedingham - A parish council creating a community garden with composting facilities.
• Chelmsford Nappy Library - An expansion of the existing Chelmsford Cloth Nappy Library into Notley and Braintree.
• Eco Colnes and Halstead - An eco-group seeking to raise awareness of their group and activities.
• Eco Essex - An eco-group that also wishes to raise awareness about their group and activities.
• South Woodham Ferrers Nappy Library - The creation of a cloth nappy library in South Woodham Ferrers.
• Tub: Refillables - A plastic-free grocery delivery service based in Saffron Walden, with a pop-up zero-waste shop.

For more information including guidelines for applicants visit the Love Essex website here.

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