The fund, which was originally announced in May this year (see letsrecycle.com story), is to help community recycling and re-use groups work more closely with local authorities to divert municipal waste from landfill.
Most of the funding – about 3 million – will be available for community groups through a bidding process that is to begin in December.
The remaining money will go to establish regional co-ordinators to strengthen community recycling in Yorkshire & Humberside, the South West, the North West and Eastern England.
The fund will also allow a task force to be set up to “champion the sector in the long-term” and identify barriers to community recycling.
Vital
Environment minister Elliot Morley said the funding was “vital” since the community waste sector has been a “major player” in the municipal waste scene.
He said: “Community waste projects now provide kerbside recycling services to more than two million homes, and have created thousands of jobs over the past 10 years, as well as many training and volunteering opportunities for people who find it difficult to find work.
“The majority of organisations in the sector are small, localised voluntary groups relying heavily on grant funding or charitable donations. This funding is therefore a real opportunity for them to think about their future and what they need to do to sustain their activities,” he added.
Community recycling representatives including the Community Composting Network, the Community Recycling Network and the Furniture Reuse Network have called the funding an “exciting new opportunity”.
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