(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Do you have a brilliant idea that if implemented could reduce waste across the region?

If so, the Regional District of North Okanagan has launched a grant program offering innovative thinkers up to $50,000 in the hope of turning some of these ideas into reality.

The Rethinking and Reducing Waste Project Grant will fund projects that contribute to reducing waste and is open for individuals, businesses, schools, community groups and non-profit organizations to apply for.

"We're looking for innovation," regional district spokesperson Ashley Gregerson told iNFOnews.ca. "We're looking for people to come to us with their ideas and their projects."

Gregerson said the regional district is looking to support initiatives which in some way or form go towards reducing waste.

"The RDNO wants to reduce waste... so anything that supports those broad goals is what we are looking for," Gregerson said.

And ideas don't have to be completely out of the box.

"People don't have to reinvent the wheel," she said. "If something has been done and its working and someone wants to bring that to our region we're more than happy."

The brand new initiative from the regional district would fund up to 50 per cent of the total cost of a project. Currently, there is $50,000 up for grabs and Gregerson said they'll be actively looking to support a number of projects.

"It's coming down to that innovation, so whoever has good ideas is really what we are pushing for," she said. "One of the RDNO's major services is waste management... and something that we want to look at is stopping waste from even reaching the landfill and we want to support initiatives that can help us with that goal."

The criteria means applicants are open to a whole range of ideas.

Example projects would be diverting food waste, research projects, waste reduction fairs, product repair events and courses, policy amendments, community garage sales, and waste reduction equipment development, according to the grant application.

"We know there are ideas outside of our organization so we want to try to support them," Gregerson said.

The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2020. For more information go here.

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