Estonia to support investments in waste reduction with EUR 10 mln

TALLINN - The Estonian Ministry of Climate and Environmental Investment Center (KIK) have developed a grant to promote packaging reuse, improve recyclability, and reduce food waste.

"Avoiding waste generation helps protect the environment and conserve natural resources. We must also provide businesses with opportunities to create greater value with fewer materials -- such as extending packaging lifespan or switching to reusable options," said Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet. "Such key changes support the goal of the waste reform of increasing material recycling while reducing waste incineration and landfill disposal."

The national waste plan aims for all packaging introduced to the Estonian market to be either recyclable or reusable by 2030. To ensure the safe circulation of materials, these principles must be considered during packaging design and production. Therefore, the state will support activities that reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability through sustainable design, and replace single-use packaging with reusable solutions.

Additionally, funding will be available for initiatives that help reduce food waste, such as food-sharing cabinets or other sharing solutions, as well as technological innovations for food planning, storage, and consumption optimization. Reducing food waste also conserves energy, water, transportation, waste management resources, fertilizers, and agricultural land.

The state will allocate a total of 10 million euros for waste reduction. The grant is available to small and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organizations, foundations, and local governments. Depending on the project, funding ranges from 10,000 euros to two million euros.

KIK will open the application round on March 24. More information is available on the center's website.

To implement the waste reform and waste plan, the Climate Ministry is investing over 100 million euros from the European Union Cohesion Fund into the circular economy. More details on the reform can be found on the Climate Ministry’s website.