Are you looking forward to another year of outdoor cleanups by New Brunswick’s amazing Recycling Heroes? We certainly are, and we’re getting the ball rolling with the fifth consecutive year of our Recycling Hero Community Cleanup Grants!
This grant is made available to schools, non-profits, and community groups across NB looking to make a difference in our province and take a stand against litter. From now until March 31st, 2025, interested groups will have the opportunity to apply for one of 40 grants. The hard-working grant recipients will receive $500 to help them clean their favourite outdoor space!
Have An Outdoor Space In Mind to Clean? Apply for a Grant!
Applying for a cleanup grant is a quick and easy process! Simply fill in an application form (available on our website) by March 31st, 2025. Encorp staff will go through the applications to pick out the 40 grant winners, and you’ll know by April 4th if you’re a grant recipient!
Encorp’s Community Cleanup Grants are a perfect fit for:
- Teachers, student groups and school green/environmental committees that want to organize a cleanup event for their schoolyard or any other outdoor public space students frequent – as a way to enhance environmental education and promote anti-litter awareness.
- Non-profit organizations, community groups and municipal/town citizen-led committees that want to get their fellow citizens involved in a beach sweep, a park or playground cleanup, a trail cleanup, etc., all the while building community connections and fostering appreciation and respect for public outdoor spaces.
Grants are largely rewarded on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, our team strives to award grants to a variety of organizations and regions across the province. As there are a limited number of grants, priority will be given to applicants who have not received a grant in the last two years.
If you’re part of an organization that already received a grant in the last two years but would still like to organize a community cleanup event, we would encourage you to partner with another organization that hasn’t already received a grant. Co-applying for a grant with this partner will let you receive and share the resources needed to organize a cleanup event and get even more people involved in keeping New Brunswick litter-free!
Make Your Cleanup Event Engaging, Educational, and Impactful!
Organizing a community cleanup is a fantastic way to make a difference for the environment, but it can also be an opportunity to inspire, educate, and bring people together! Whether you’re a school group, a non-profit, or a community organization, adding creative elements to your cleanup can make the experience even more rewarding.
For schools, cleanups can serve as hands-on learning experiences. Students can explore environmental topics like recycling, waste reduction, and the impact of litter on ecosystems—all while taking action to protect their community. A great way to extend the learning is by visiting a local redemption centre after the cleanup to see how beverage containers are processed for recycling.
It’s also important to make the event fun! Cleaning up can be hard work, so celebrating your cleanup crew with a snack break, a friendly competition, or small prizes can boost morale and make the day more memorable.
Many of our 2024 Recycling Heroes got creative with their events. The Anglophone East School District Science Team combined their cleanup around Jones Lake with water testing activities, giving students a chance to explore the connection between litter and water quality. École Carrefour Beausoleil paired their beach cleanup at Gordon’s Wharf with an educational visit to Hebert’s Bottle Exchange, allowing students to see the beverage container recycling process in action. The Fredericton Botanic Garden Association took a flexible approach, encouraging volunteers to pick up litter over a two-week period, leading to the collection of numerous bags of trash and nearly $200 raised from redeemed beverage containers.
If you’re planning a cleanup this year, consider adding your own creative touch to engage your cleanup crew and maximize your impact!
Apply for a Community Cleanup Grant Today!
New Brunswick’s Recycling Heroes continue to inspire us every year with their dedication to keeping our province clean and litter-free. If you or your organization are ready to step up and lead a community cleanup in 2025, don’t miss this opportunity to apply for a $500 grant!
Applications and information about the grants can be found on our website. If you have any questions at all about the Community Cleanup Grants, you can send us an email at [email protected].
