Northern Irish councils in 10 million boost to recycling

The funding, for 2005/06, maintains the level of additional waste funding given to Northern Irish councils for the last two years. The Department of Environment said the funding indicated its “serious intention to help Councils meet their recycling targets as set out in the Waste Management Strategy”.

Announcing the funding, Northern Ireland's environment minister, Angela Smith, said: “We are already seeing progress in our fight against waste. But success can only come if there is partnership and commitment from government, district councils and the general public. All partners in the fight against waste must not become complacent.”

To help reach targets set out by the European Landfill Directive, Northern Ireland is aiming to recover 25% of household waste by 2005 and by 2010 to recover 40% of household waste – including 25% by recycling or composting. Councils in Northern Ireland recycled about 12.5% of household waste produced in 2003.

Partnership
Councils in Northern Ireland have formed three partnership groups to help meet these targets – the Eastern Region Waste Management Group, the Southern Waste Management Partnership and the North West Region Waste Management Group.

The 10 million grant will be available for councils to use individually or collectively within their partnership groups, the Department said.

Ms Smith said: “It is vitally important that we continue to make progress towards meeting the recycling targets contained in the Waste Management Strategy. The targets are challenging and the funding I have announced today will help meet costs of the infrastructure to enable us all to meet these targets. I continue to be impressed with the progress councils are making.”

Waste grants provided for Northern Irish councils in 2005/06: