Recycling rebates available for small businesses

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is giving small businesses an early Christmas present: up to $25,000 in government rebates for recycling.

Businesses can apply for a rebate of up to half the value of small-scale recycling equipment such as compressors, organic processors, shredders, grinders and dehydrators, worth between $4000 and $50,000. The rebates are available until 2016.

In order to qualify for the rebates, businesses must undertake a free BinTrim audit prior to applying.

Australian businesses generate around 1.7 tonnes of waste per employee - but they only recycle half that amount. The rebates aim to encourage businesses to minimise waste and recover resources.

Planet Ark has developed the BusinessRecycling.com.au website - an online directory and hotline to help businesses find local recycling services for more than 90 different materials. It also includes details on the BinTrim program. The Recycling Equipment Catalogue contains information on a range of machinery to help businesses decide on recycling equipment.

Recycling equipment suppliers are also encouraged to list their products on the site, which has been designed for direct entry by suppliers and allows suppliers to edit, modify and add to their equipment listings.

New suppliers can register at http://businessrecycling.com.au/equipmentsupplier.