West Midlands recycling businesses awarded grants worth £1.5 million
07 December 2009
The waste and recycling industry in the West Midlands has received a boost worth nearly £1.5 million through grants awarded to thirteen businesses recycling a range of commercial and industrial waste streams.
The grants have been awarded by the WRAP AWM programme - run by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) on behalf of Advantage West Midlands (AWM).
The help delivered by the programme will enable chosen businesses to increase their recycling capacities or diversify and add value to the types of materials they can recycle.
One of the successful applicants, Dean Overton, director of Dudley-based Overton Recycling Ltd, has received a grant towards the purchase of a materials handler which will increase capacity for recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) by around 500%.
He explains: “We currently receive around 12 tonnes of waste to recycle every day and we expect this figure to double in the next year. The new equipment will mean we can move 240kg of materials every minute - and that used to take us all day when we had to do it manually.”
Another of the successful applicants, Jason Barker, the managing director of Wolverhampton-based Omnia Recycling Ltd, says automating part of his business will double the amount of commercial and industrial plastics it recycles from 2,500 tonnes to nearly 5,000 tonnes each year. The company uses mixed plastics waste from domestic, commercial and industrial sources to manufacture a range of green products - including fence posts, railings, bollards and sign posts.
Other companies receiving awards are Walsall Concrete Ltd, Lawrence Recycling in Kidderminster, Arden Wood Shavings in Solihull, Wood Waste Recycling in Tyseley, Recycled UK in Coseley, Wolverhampton, Anytime Concrete in West Bromwich, Clews Recycling in Rugby, Wilshees in Burton Upon Trent, Midlands Reclamation in Long Marston and NDC Polythenes in Old Hill.
Julia Turner, WRAP’s AWM Programme Manager, said: “We are extremely pleased with the responses we have received. Businesses that have won funding will be able to divert more waste from landfill and help the West Midlands to make the most of its material resources.
“Although we have almost allocated our small scale funding for this year, we have funding for future years that we may be able to use to fund similar capital investment projects, so, we would still like to hear from recycling businesses that have plans to develop or enhance their operations. We would also like to hear from companies keen to make use of the fully funded business development services we offer.”
Mark Pearce, Corporate Director for Economic Development at AWM, added: “The projects being supported by these grants will help the West Midlands region to divert more than 900,000 tonnes of its commercial and industrial waste from landfill. This not only means businesses are better able to manage and recycle the waste they produce in a cost effective way but it also means that the value of the material is being kept in the local economy. These thirteen businesses will all increase their productivity and grow their operations, creating low carbon jobs in the West Midlands.”
In addition to providing grants, the WRAP AWM programme offers recycling firms a range of free business development services, including assistance with:
- business planning;
- raising finance;
- technical advice;
- marketing strategy development;
- funding for interim managers;
- funding for senior management training in all areas of business management; and
- identifying and protecting intellectual property.
For more information about the WRAP AWM programme contact Julia Turner on 0121 222 5447, alternatively please email awm@wrap.org.uk or visit www.wrap.org.uk/awm.
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.
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