But, unlike the case with lottery winnings it looks as though the money to fund kerbside recycling will not be given out until mid-2001 at the earliest.
A consultation paper on the funding will be issued by the Department of Culture and Media Studies – which is responsible for lottery money – next month.
A spokeswoman for the New Opportunities Fund which will administer the cash told letsrecycle.com that this would involve a “huge consultation exercise with the voluntary sector, statutory bodies, the public and the private sector before policy directions are drawn up.”
The support for Mr Blair’s announcement of the extra money came from the waste management trade association the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and Waste Watch, the national organisation which promotes waste reduction, re-use and recycling.
The ESA said it welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment of “extra funds to promote doorstep recycling and renewed efforts by the government to purchase recyclables”.
Agenda
Dirk Hazell, ESA’s chief executive: said: “The Prime Minister’s wish to move the environment up the political agenda through partnership, to progress through sound science, to regard business as a solution not as a problem, and to seek effective international agreements is welcome to our industry which regards environmental protection as its core business opportunity”.
Mr Hazell continued: “We also welcome, as a step in the right direction, the announcement of an additional 50 million to promote doorstep recycling. At least as important is the Government’s intention to use its own consumer power to buy more products made from recycled materials: political consensus to increase recycling needs to be underpinned by recycled materials being utilised on a basis making economic and environmental sense.”
A Waste Watch spokeswoman said: “We are delighted that kerbside recycling will receive a 50m boost, making money available for partnership recycling schemes in the local community and giving help to local authorities who need to meet the ambitious recycling targets of Waste Strategy 2000.
“Waste Watch is also pleased to hear Tony Blair stating that he wants every local authority to offer doorstep recycling,
giving a clear signal to local authorities about how the Waste Strategy targets should be met.”
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