Empowering Local Communities to Embrace the Circular Economy

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

South Cork Division

North Cork Division

All of Cork County