Cork circular economy fund helping to make communities more sustainable  

The application process has opened for Cork County Council’s 2026 circular economy fund, an initiative designed to empower local communities to reduce waste and adopt more sustainable practices.

The fund supports a shift towards a circular approach to waste, where resources are reused, repaired, or recycled for maximum value.

Last year the council awarded more than €52,000 in funding to 23 community groups through the fund.

This year schools, community groups, sports clubs, festivals, and events have been invited to submit proposals specifically focused on reducing single-use plastics, which pose a serious environmental threat.

Eligible projects may include reusable cup or container schemes for community use or programmes such as meals-on-wheels, the installation of permanent water refill stations at sports facilities and schools, or the provision of water refill points at festivals and events.

Circular cups

A key focus for the 2026 fund is the implementation of circular cups for community events, a reusable cup rental service for small-scale, not-for-profit events, whereby, event organisers can hire reusable cups that are delivered to the event, collected afterwards, and professionally washed and dried for future use.

Mayor of the County of Cork, councillor Mary Linehan Foley, said that as a nation, we have become overly reliant on disposable items.

“Cork County Council is delighted to support communities across the county in delivering meaningful behavioural change when it comes to reducing waste, particularly single-use plastic,” she said.

Applications for the circular economy fund must be submitted online by 4pm on Friday, February 20.

Eligibility is limited to organisations within the Cork County Council administrative area.

Only applications addressing the theme of single-use plastics will be considered.