The chosen five – Torfaen, Newport, Powys, Ceredigion and Anglesey – will be given support from the WLGA, Cylch, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly government to apply for additional funding sources including the New Opportunities Fund, European structural funds and the Landfill Tax Credits Scheme in order to become high-achieving waste elimination projects.
Councillor Graham Court, the WLGA Deputy Spokesperson for Environment, said: “I welcome this initiative and the partnership approach between local government and the community sector to improve waste management in Wales.”
After receiving a number of proposals, the five local authorities were chosen to reflect an overview of the situation in Wales to include projects in rural areas, urban areas and the valleys.
Working with the new Waste Strategy for Wales announced last month (see letsrecycle.com article) , the aim is for the five 'e;xemplars' to divert at least 50% of municipal waste from landfill within three years by recycling and composting to demonstrate to other areas that high rates of diversion is possible.
“We've now got the strategy, the resources and the people to make the change to recycling we've been working towards for years,” said Mike Membery, chair of Cylch. “If we can't take the lead with this commitment, we've nowhere to hide. The crucial part of this development is the partnership with those of us that have actually been doing recycling for years. We welcome the recognition and the challenge.”
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