The allocation is the first under WRAP's Organics Capital Support Programme for England and followed a competitive tendering process and the selection of preferred bidders. The fund aims to encourage an increase in the quantity of municipal organic waste that is composted.
Bournemouth-based Eco Composting will use the funding to boost the amount of compost produced from new kerbside collections of kitchen and garden waste materials. It will cover the capital costs of constructing an in-vessel composting system, concrete pad and buildings along with several pieces of new machinery.
The scheme is expected to process 41,000 tonnes of municipal organic waste over the next five years. Compost will be used in the manufacture of Eco Composting's “Eco Super Soil” and to grow turf.
Eco Composting's managing director Trewlaney Dampney said the firm had wanted to expand, but capital costs had prevented it from doing so. “We are delighted to be receiving the support from WRAP which has been the deciding factor in enabling us to build the new facility, which will produce top quality BSI PAS 100 compost for use in our turf farm,” he added.
WRAP's organics programme aims to increase the UK's processing capacity for municipal organic waste by 300,000 tonnes by 2006. Its organics technical manager Louise Hollingworth said: “This project is of particular importance in that it expands the processing opportunities for kitchen and garden waste in line with the Landfill Directive requirements and demonstrates an imaginative approach to using the composted product in added-value applications.”
WRAP has recently launched a second capital support programme covering both England and Scotland. Full details and tendering invitation documents can be obtained from www.wrap.org.uk.
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