Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has launched two new funding programmes to reduce waste and promote recycling.
The Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Demonstration Programme is a £10 million scheme aimed at encouraging the development of novel commercial scale anaerobic digestion technology by providing investment funding for infrastructure and treatment capacity.
WRAP state that the fund will support between 3 and 6 projects in England which can demonstrate innovation in technology or operational processes and which also meet the programmes objectives of:
- maximising the environmental benefits from anaerobic digestion and its products;
- reducing the environmental impact of the food supply chain and water treatment infrastructure;
- maximising cost effective production of biogas; and
- maximising the opportunity for introducing biomethane into the gas grid.
The Organics Capital Grant Programme is a £16 million capital grant scheme, open to projects in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, aimed at reducing the amount of food waste sent to landfill by increasing recycling capacity. The Programme will contribute funding towards the development of food waste recycling infrastructure including in-vessel composting, anaerobic digestion and other proven technologies.
Defra too has announced £181.6 million in funding via the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Project for waste facilities in Leicestershire and the South West.
The PFI Project is expected to divert 98,000 and 293,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste from landfill, in Leicestershire and the South West respectively, by 2020.
Further information on these funding initiatives may be accessed from the WRAP and Defra via the links below:-
http://www.wrap.org.uk/wrap_corporate/news/wrap_launches_two.html
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2008/081002b.htm
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