Executive officer La Vergne Lehmann said the grants aimed to encourage community groups to look at finding their own solutions to waste and recycling. 

“We want to encourage groups to have the power to make change themselves,” she said. 

The Can Do Communities grant provides funding and offers assistance to groups in facilitating ideas. This might include organising and facilitating community meetings. 

“We have worked with community groups including workshops on making natural household cleaners and cosmetics in Ararat, Great Western and Stawell,” Ms Lehmann said. 

The group helped form local Boomerang Bags groups last year along with other community garden projects, litter reduction programs and composting workshops.

Ms Lehmann said the group wanted to hear from any community group about idea they might have to address waste and recycling. 

“There is no shortage of ideas for communities to work on to become a Can Do Community,” she said. 

“Communities in our regional do a fantastic job in getting things done and very often only need some guidance or a small amount of funding to get started.” 

Ms Lehmann said people wanting more information about the grants could visit recyclingrevolution.com.au/cando/