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Waste Reduction Challenge Prize

This competition has now closed.


There has been significant success in reducing waste in recent years, but it remains an enormous challenge and an area which needs new solutions. 

  • We throw away more than 7 million tonnes of food and drink every year from our homes - most of which could have been safely consumed.
  • UK hospitality sector (hotels, pubs, restaurants and quick service restaurants) could save £724 million a year by tackling food waste.
  • Our research shows doubling the number of sofas re-used, could save 52,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. At the moment, 83per cent of sofas are not re-used and are sent to landfill or recycled.
  • Between now and 2020, WRAP estimates that electronic waste in the UK will total more than 12 million tonnes. A quarter of this will comprise of IT equipment, consumer electronics and display screens. This 12 million tonnes will include precious metals, which have a total estimated market value of £7 billion.
  • Nearly 25 per cent of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that's taken to household waste recycling centres could be re-used, worth around £200m gross a year.
  • By pursuing opportunities for re-use, the UK could reduce its reliance on raw materials by as much as 20 per cent by 2020.

Source: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

Nesta and the Cabinet Office see this as an opportunity to motivate people to consider the challenges facing communities and to be inspired to share their ideas. 

We want to encourage new ideas that can influence and mobilise communities of 'Givers' to make significant reductions in waste and impact behaviours for years to come.

The Challenge

We are offering a prize for the innovation that achieves the biggest measureable reduction in waste, by providing new opportunities for communities to come together to give time, skills and resources.   

People who are part of communities are best placed to understand the needs, motivations and opportunities within these communities.  We think this makes them brilliantly placed to come up with great ideas that could prove to be highly effective.

The Waste Reduction Challenge Prize is not just about ideas, although good ideas will obviously help.  It's about putting ideas into practice. 

Judging Criteria

The successful Finalist will be the one that best meets the criteria outlined below, based on impact.  Additional information is provided in the FAQs and Entry Form.

1.   Innovation

We are looking for new approaches, or ideas combined or implemented in new ways.  

2.   Waste Reduction

The winner/s will need to demonstrate significant measureable reductions in waste.  In selecting up to 25 competitors and when selecting the Finalists, we will be looking for potential to demonstrate waste.  Measureable reductions will need to be demonstrated by Finalists.

3.   Giving and engagement

The winner/s will need to demonstrate that they have created new opportunities for people to give time, skills and resources to reduce waste, including for people who are new to giving.  In selecting up to 25 competitors and when selecting the Finalists, we will be looking for potential to create new opportunities for giving.  Evidence will need to be demonstrated by Finalists.

4.   Other Social Impacts

Judges will also consider the wider social impact of the idea, for example effects on air quality, biodiversity or public safety impacts, or impact on social connections

5.   Potential for sustainability

We are looking for ideas that can be sustained to continue to have significant impact on waste reduction, beyond the life of the Prize. 

6.   Potential for scale

We are looking for ideas that have the potential to grow, be replicated or transfer to another context.   

Entry Criteria

The Prize is open to any organisation based in the UK provided that the benefits of your proposal focus primarily or significantly on England. 

We are open to ideas and proposals from all sources and sectors and all types of organisations. 

The Prize is not open to individuals, although groups and organisations do not have to be legally constituted to enter.  If an unincorporated association or group is selected, they will be supported to become constituted.  

Please ensure that you have, or can quickly put in place, the capacity within your organisation/group to develop and pilot your idea.   

The Challenge is open to for-profit, private companies; however prize funding will only be awarded for projects that have an identifiable public benefit related to the aims of the Challenge and Nesta's charitable objects and where any private benefit to individuals, companies or shareholders is incidental and not excessive.

All entrants need to demonstrate a willingness to share their experiences and learning to help establish a body of knowledge that can bring about a sustained change in the culture of giving and exchange.  Nesta intends to carry out and publish research in the insights gained through Challenge Prizes.

We cannot fund activity which is party-political in intention, use, or presentation nor to support or promote religious activity.  We will not normally fund the purchase of capital equipment. You may not enter the Challenge if you are currently being funded by Nesta's Innovation in Giving Fund.

This deadline for entries was 9am, Monday 17 September 2012.

Challenge Stages and Timetable

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Stage 1: Open Call
17 September 2012 - Deadline for Entries

Stage 2: Up to 25 Entries selected
October 2012 - Shortlisted entries will be supported to develop a detailed plan.

Stage 3: Around five finalists selected to test their ideas
Finalists selected January 2013 - Finalists will receive funding of up to £10,000 and support to set up and test their projects over a period of six months.
Testing period April - September 2013.

Winner selected and £50,000 Prize Fund awarded
October 2013 - The Finalist/s that demonstrate the biggest waste reduction by  mobilising significant community resources and stand out when assessed against the other judging criteria will win.

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Selected organisations must be able to commit to the programme until October 2013, when the Prize will be awarded to the most successful innovation(s).   

Nesta intends to produce a report towards the end of 2013 outlining the insights gained as a result of the Challenge Prize. We aim to:

  • Share insights about the value of, and principles for the giving of time, skills and resource at community level to support waste reduction
  • Encourage the development of more impactful and cost effective approaches
  • Share learning about the effectiveness of using challenge prizes to stimulate social innovation methods

Before you submit an entry, please ensure that you have carefully read the FAQs, the guidance in the Entry Form and our Terms and Conditions.

If you have any further questions or queries relating to the Challenge Prize that have not been answered in the guidance, FAQs and Terms and Conditions, please email givingchallenges@nesta.org.uk.

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About Nesta

Nesta is the UK’s innovation foundation. We exist to help bring ideas to life. We do this by providing finance through programmes, investments and grants, and mobilising research, networks and skills. Nesta became an independent charity on 1 April 2012 (charity number 1144091).

About Office for Civil Society

The Office for Civil Society, part of the Cabinet Office, works across government departments to translate the Big Society agenda into practical policies, provides support to voluntary and community organisations and is responsible for delivering a number of key Big Society programmes.