The programme, called “Cleanstream”, will be funded with 2.65 million from the lottery, distributed by the New Opportunities Fund's Transforming Waste Scheme.
Cleanstream will help increase community sector reuse, recycling and composting projects, and a statement from the Assembly said that “more than 9,000 jobs could be created in Wales in the next five years if Cleanstream is implemented fully”.
 Welsh Assembly environment minister Sue Essex |
The programme will be managed by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and supported by Cylch – the Wales community recycling network – as well as the Environment Agency Wales and the Welsh Local Government Association.
Speaking at the Green Meadow Community Farm last week, Welsh Assembly environment minister Sue Essex said: “Waste must be seen as a resource which can add real value to the Welsh economy, creating a new breed of 'green collar' workers committed to recycling and environmental concerns.”
There is a powerful economic incentive to boost recycling in Wales, quite apart from the assembly’s wish to improve on the poor recycling rate. It believes that the intensive recycling approach of Cleanstream, which will encourage kerbside separation of materials, should be able to generate between five and seven times more jobs than an incineration or integrated waste management strategy could.
- Groups can register their interest for the Cleanstream scheme by phoning 0870 6071666.
The value of recyclables in the Wales’ household waste stream is estimated at 8.1m for their initial sale. Adding value through reprocessing, at an average of 400 per tonne, could take the total value of dry recyclables to 120m, the Assembly believes.
Exemplar
As well as revealing plans for the Cleanstream programme, Ms Essex formally announced that five Welsh councils have been set a target to recycle half their municipal waste by 2006.
Selected in July 2002 (see letsrecycle.com story), these “exemplar” councils – Ceredigion, Newport, Powys, Torfaen and Ynys Mon – are being given extra resources and assistance to prove that such a high recycling rate can be achieved within three years.
Plans for a waste awareness programme for the whole of Wales were also unveiled at the Green Meadow Community Farm event. A joint initiative between the Local Government Association and Keep Wales Tidy initiative with funding from the Assembly, the Waste Awareness Wales campaign will follow along the lines of the “Rethink Rubbish” campaign.
Councillor Graham Court, Welsh Local Government Association deputy spokesperson on the environment, said: “We can have the best recycling service in the world, unless we tell people about it and explain how they can take part then it is unlikely to be successful.”
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