Cork County Council has awarded over €52,000 in funding to 23 community groups as part of its Circular Economy Fund, marking another significant step in the county’s move towards sustainable and circular living.
Now in its second year, the Circular Economy Fund supports local communities in moving away from the traditional ‘take-make-use-dispose’ model. Instead, it promotes actions that reuse, recycle, and minimise waste, with a particular focus this year on reducing single-use plastics (SUPs).
The 2025 fund invited applications from schools, Tidy Towns groups, sports clubs, and festival organisers, encouraging innovative proposals to reduce single-use plastics. With an increasing demand from the public to reduce single-use plastics and a desire from communities to act, the fund supported these groups to take action and drive the circular economy.
A wide range of projects have been supported in 2025, including reusable cup schemes in the community, reusable container schemes for meals on wheels and the installation of permanent water refill stations at sports grounds and in schools. Other projects include community centres using reusable crockery rather than single-use plastics, and the provision of water stations at events. All projects promote greater behavioural change, with the hope of people embracing reuse and avoiding single-use plastics in every walk of life.
For more information contact the Environmental Awareness Office at eao@corkcoco.ie
The successful applicants per Cork County Council Division are outlined below:
West Cork Division
Organisation Name |
Municipal District |
Project Description |
Sherkin Island Development Society |
West Cork |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival |
West Cork |
Equipment for a reusable water filling station |
Wild Atlantic Pool and Fitness Centre |
West Cork |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Transition Town Kinsale |
Bandon-Kinsale |
Reusable cup scheme |
Belgooly Tidy Villages (with Belgooly GAA & Belgooly Summer Festival) |
Bandon-Kinsale |
Installation of an external water bottle filling station |
South Cork Division
Organisation Name |
Municipal District |
Project Description |
Ballymaloe Grainstore |
East Cork |
Reusable cup/container scheme |
Youghal Community Health Project Clg |
East Cork |
Reusable container scheme |
Millstreet Community School |
Macroom |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Clondrohid National School |
Macroom |
Reusable cup scheme |
Fountainstown Community Sports Club |
Carrigaline |
Installation of an external water bottle filling station |
Rylane Community Park Association |
Macroom |
Reusable cup scheme |
Colaiste Muire Realt na Mara Crosshaven |
Carrigaline |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
North Cork Division
Organisation Name |
Municipal District |
Project Description |
Loreto Secondary School Fermoy |
Fermoy |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Castlemagner Community Development Association |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Reusable crockery |
St Patrick’s National School, Mallow |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Buttevant GAA |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an external water bottle filling station |
Meelin NS |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Newmarket GAA |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Making drinking water accessible |
Kanturk GAA |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an external water bottle filling station |
Cork College of FET – Mallow Campus |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an internal water bottle filling station |
Newmarket Sports & Leisure |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an external water bottle filling station |
Charleville AFC |
Kanturk – Mallow |
Installation of an external water bottle filling station |
All of Cork County
Organisation Name |
Municipal District |
Project Description |
Cloth Nappy Library Ireland Company CLG |
All of Cork County |
Cloth Nappy Kit Upgrades |
