West Midlands grants and business support will help industry divert an additional 2 million tonnes of waste from landfill
30 June 2010
Providing a significant boost to the low carbon economy in the West Midlands, the support will lead to at least 39 jobs being created or safeguarded and will save over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The grants to 16 different waste and recycling businesses have been awarded during the first phase of the WRAP AWM programme. A further 21 businesses have received free business development support, tailored to help them improve their operations and increase their capacity.
Delivered by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), the £5.4 million programme is funded by Advantage West Midlands (AWM). It has been designed to tackle the projected waste infrastructure capacity gap in the West Midlands.
Both the forecasted landfill diversion and the CO2 savings are in excess of the original targets set at the beginning of the programme - which aimed to divert 320,000 tonnes of C&I waste from landfill and save 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
With the first series of grants now allocated, the programme is turning its focus to the next stage of support, designed to increase even further the amount of C&I waste being recovered from businesses in the region. To help guide plans for the next phase and identify the opportunities and barriers affecting capacity growth in the region, over 100 waste and recycling organisations have been interviewed and their feedback collated. The research has shown that significant opportunities still exist for recovering more C&I waste - with mixed plastics, low-grade wood, paper and card, food waste and small business waste collection services offering some of the best opportunities to further increase recycling rates.
Among the main challenges highlighted by a smaller group of businesses invited to a follow-up workshop was a need for closer integration across the supply chain, improving the segregation of waste streams at source, selecting and financing new equipment and ensuring appropriately skilled workers were available for technical, operational and commercial roles. These challenges will be targeted in the next phase of the WRAP AWM Programme and by the wider work of AWM’s Waste Infrastructure Advisory Group – a business-led group of waste industry experts.
Wolverhampton-based plastics reprocessor, Recycled UK Ltd, received capital support to help fund the purchase of vital new plant and equipment. Director Paul Green said: “Without the assistance from the WRAP/AWM Programme we wouldn’t have been able to grow and develop the business as we would have liked to. We certainly wouldn’t have been able to attack the new markets that we’re focusing on now.”
Julia Turner, WRAP’s AWM Programme Manager, added: “We’re looking forward to starting the next phase and the feedback we’ve received from the industry has been vital in determining where the programme should now be focusing its support. Demonstrating value for money is always critical and we need to ensure the support we provide has the best possible impact on increasing recovery and recycling rates across the region.”
For more information about the WRAP AWM programme and to find out if your business could receive support, please contact Julia Turner on 0121 222 5447. Alternatively please email awm@wrap.org.uk or visit www.wrap.org.uk/awm to check details of eligibility criteria.
Editor's Notes
A study by AWM and the Regional Technical Advisory Body on Waste forecasts a waste infrastructure capacity gap of 3.7 million tonnes by 2020 if the West Midland’s waste management sector doesn’t receive the investment and support it needs.
The WRAP AWM project, which will run until March 2012, is part of a wider programme to maximise recycling opportunities in the region.
WRAP
WRAP helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For more information on all of WRAP's programmes visit www.wrap.org.uk
AWM
Advantage West Midlands is the Regional Development Agency (RDA) for the West Midlands. One of nine RDAs in England established to transform the English regions through sustainable economic development, AWM drives economic development by identifying where the greatest impact can be made either by targeting need or investing in success
Toby Barker
Camargue PR
Tel: 01242 577277
tbarker@camarguepr.com
Emma Heesom
WRAP PR Manager
Tel: 01295 819677
Emma.Heesom@wrap.org.uk
Phil Brown
AWM
Tel: 0121 503 3402
PhilBrown@ADVANTAGEWM.CO.UK
