Across the board UK governments are working hard to cut down on rubbish sent to landfill and to increase household, commercial, and industrial recycling rates.
As EU waste and recycling targets loom closer, it is becoming more important for recycling efforts to be pushed full throttle. Northern Ireland has just signed on to do its part to help meet UK recycling targets. Just recently Environment Minister of Northern Ireland Edwin Poots launched a £3.13 million scheme that will help make funding available to local authorities for the promotion of reuse and recycling.
Dubbed, the “Rethink Waste Fund’, the initiative is being launched in conjunction with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), which has helped launch numerous reduce, reuse, and recycling programmes across the UK. The funding will be delivered by the Northern Irish Department of Environment, who have already outlined several example schemes that would likely earn government approval and support.
Application processing has already begun as of last week’s launch, and all applications will be accepted until 28 June 2010. The ‘Rethink Waste’ website has also been launched to help aid groups in filling out forms and seeking guidance for the grant process. Councils will be allowed to submit independently or in a consortium of local authorities. Third party organisations and private firms have also been encouraged to apply for funding.
According to the website, the first round of funding recipients should be announced later this year in August. Applications are expected to be reviewed during July and the start of August. WRAP has conducted similar programmes in other counties across the UK, that are designed to encourage local communities, councils, and private organisations to run recycling initiatives.
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