Defra announces latest reward funding

Decisions on the scheme have been made by a Defra Funding Panel which has allocated a total support of 539,501 this year with 228,062 for next year. Bracknell Forest borough council in Berkshirereceives the largest sum at 108,000. (for the full list, see the table below).

Bracknell Forest’s contractor is SITA UK which started an eight year contract in 2011 while the authority’s leader is Cllr Paul Bettison who has substantial experience of waste management and recycling issues and is involved with the iESE framework contract work.

Most of the money for the schemesis allocated for 2012/2013 with some for the following year.

The allocations come as part oftheDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’work stemming from government policy to reward people for recycling rather than penalising them.

Positive

The Department noted: We want to explore ways to reward or recognise people for adopting positive behaviours towards managing their waste so as part of the Waste Review, Defra launched the Reward and Recognition scheme in June 2011, making up to 2 million available for the three Spending Review years from 2011/12 to 2013/14. A maximum of 500,000 was available for 2011/12 to local authorities and community organisations to introduce or trial new schemes that reward or recognise people or communities for adopting such positive behaviours.

In a statement, Defra commented: “The closing date for applications was 11th June 2012 and we received 60 applications for an amount totaling almost 2.25million. We undertook a robust sifting exercise. Applications were assessed by a Funding Panel using published criteria which included project design and delivery, estimated net financial cost of achieving the anticipated benefits, strength of business model for the scheme to be self-financing once government funding ceases, and contribution to evidence base.”

Innovative

The Defra statement continued: “The cross-cutting Funding Panel consisted of representatives from Defra, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and iESE with input from DCLG and Defras research partner. The Funding Panel agreed that 15 schemes warranted funding, with total support of an additional 539,501 for 2012/13. Schemes were able to make applications for projects relating to waste food, the recycling, re-use and repair of waste materials and waste prevention and reduction. Some of these schemes will, by necessity, be innovative and go beyond the tried and tested, but we firmly believe that this will help local communities to develop solutions that work for them. We want there to be a greater emphasis on ensuring valuable data can be collected and evaluated, as we are very keen to learn lessons from the schemes we are funding so that these can be shared with other organisations.”

Schemes already operating include the London Green Points scheme launched in Bexley in October 2011 and the Recyclebank scheme which operates in Windsor & Maidenhead, Halton and Lambeth.

Second funding round list, August 2012. source: Defra