WRAP was given responsibility by DEFRA in May 2003 to for raising awareness of waste minimisation and recycling among the public. With its 30 million waste awareness budget, WRAP has already given 500,000 to the national campaign Rethink Rubbish and has now unveiled its plans for local authority programmes.
The Local Communications Fund is being managed on behalf of WRAP by environmental consultancy firm Enviros.
The first round of the fund will see 1.7 million going to councils with existing waste awareness programmes or those with campaigns ready to begin early next year. Councils will be able to bid for the money after the launch on December 8, 2003.
Jennie Price, WRAP's chief executive said: “Raising public awareness about waste and recycling is essential if local authorities are to secure increased participation and meet their recycling targets. We need to harness the public’s enthusiasm for the principle of recycling, and convert it into action. Householders need to know exactly what they can do to contribute to increasing recycling, and this is a message which can only be delivered at a local level, as it needs to be tailored to the recycling infrastructure which they can access.”
Early in the New Year, a further 8.5 million will be available for local authorities that are successful in applying for DEFRA's Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund. This round will be aimed at promoting new recycling infrastructure support by the DEFRA fund.
For councils who are not successful in the DEFRA fund will be able to apply for a further 8.5 million from WRAP to promote their recycling services. WRAP plans to open the competitive bidding process for this portion in early 2004.
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