Minister for the Local Environment, Ben Bradshaw, announced that £215m was to be made available through the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant, designed to support new and more efficient ways to deliver waste reduction, increase recycling and diversion from landfill, over the next two years. Bradshaw encouraged authorities to consider joint investment to ‘make the money go even further’ on improvements to kerbside recycling schemes, new materials recycling facilities and civic amenity sites.

‘CIWM would like to congratulate those who have worked hard to achieve these grants,’ commented Lee. ‘This is much-needed funding for a service that needs to develop quickly. Overall the funding is welcome and badly needed.’

However, as stated in its Lesson Learned Report last year, CIWM would prefer to see sustained funding for waste rather than funds that authorities have to ‘bid’ for.
‘CIWM also wants to know why the grant is not ring-fenced, meaning there is no certainty that the money will go to waste and resources. We want local authorities to trial direct charging, as most people don’t realise the level of service they would get for their money, and we are also disappointed not to have seen some encouragement towards the co-management of municipal, industrial and construction wastes. And again, this funding is to support municipal waste, which still represents no more than eight percent of the total in England.’