Minister praises new Objective 1 Funding to support Welsh recycling businesses. - 17/8/2004
Recycling Success For Wales
Wales has become a leading force in recycling and its future is even brighter thanks to new Objective One funding for The Wales Environment Trust’s CWMre business support initiative.
The Wales Environment Trust, a not for profit company limited by guarantee, has come a long way since its origins in 1996 as the first and largest independent Welsh distributor of landfill tax credits. It has transformed itself into a provider of a total market development solution for recyclable materials (recyclate) in Wales. Market development as the name suggests, involves developing local recycling loops for recyclable materials so they are diverted from wasteful disposal options such as landfill. Developing local markets directly contributes to Welsh Sustainable Development by:
· Growing the indigenous recycling industry, its employment levels and contribution to the overall economy
· Reducing the environmental impacts of waste & landfill / incineration
· Meeting the requirements of “waste” related legislation and public demand for recycling
The Trust’s total market development solution consists of a wide range of services to a broad range of Welsh stakeholders including:
·Business support
·Local government support
·Strategic market development programmes on behalf of The Welsh Assembly Government, Welsh European Funding Office and other funding bodies
·Cross-sectoral programmes -including researching and developing new recycled products and improving the recycling infrastructure
New Funding for Business Support Initiative
New funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and European Regional Development Objective 1 Fund for the Trust’s CWMre business support initiative, will help to bolster the impressive achievements already made. CWMre (Creating Welsh Markets for recyclate) provides specialised support to Welsh businesses that currently / wish to play one of the following roles in the recycling loop:
·supplying recyclate e.g. manufacturers, retailers and construction.
·collecting recyclate
·reprocessing recyclate into recycled products
·purchasing recycled products
The funding will enable The Wales Environment Trust to continue to provide this support free of charge to eligible small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s) in European Objective 1 areas of Wales for the next three years.
Ambitious Targets
This second phase of Objective 1 funding is set to achieve some ambitious targets:
2004-2007 CWMre Targets:
· 230,000 tonnes of recyclable materials diverted from landfill and increased recycling capacity of 425,000 tonnes
· £25million of private sector investment
· £10million increased turnover of assisted eligible companies
· 135 gross new jobs created
· 90 gross new jobs safeguarded
· 200 new and existing eligible companies receiving information and advice (<2days)
· 100 new and existing eligible companies receiving assistance (>2days)
As Dr Keith Parry, Chief Executive of The Wales Environment Trust stated:
“Securing further financial support from the Assembly and the European Regional Development Fund demonstrates the success of the CWMre initiative to date.”
Business Matters
The Wales Environment Trust emphasises that providing support to Welsh businesses is a fundamental element of developing markets for recyclate:
“It is our firm belief that without the involvement of the private sector, we would not have the necessary infrastructure, investment, innovation or quick response necessary to achieve satisfactory recycling levels. CWMre is specifically set up to raise awareness of the business drivers for recycling and provide practical support to tap into these opportunities” commented Dr Parry.
Team Wales Approach
Commenting on the continuation of funding for The Wales Environment Trust, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside: Carwyn Jones said:
'The success of the CWMre Phase 2 bid demonstrates that the Wales Environment Trust is providing a competitive service to funding bodies, delivering strategic market development programmes for Wales. As well as the CWMre Initiative, the Trust is also funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to co-ordinate the Welsh National Composting Network, a key action for achieving composting targets as outlined in Wise About Waste: the National Waste Strategy for Wales. I am pleased to see the successful work of the Trust which helps to promote more sustainable waste management in Wales.'
The Wales Environment Trust works in close partnership with many other organisations providing complimentary support to its activities and stakeholders. It has a Memorandum of Understanding with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), to maximise support and minimise duplication relating to market development in Wales. The Trust has also forged strong relationships with the Welsh Development Agency, Environment Agency Wales, Waste Awareness Wales and other Assembly funded bodies to ensure a Team Wales approach is adopted.
Dr Steven Bentley, Founding Director of The Wales Environment Trust summed up the companies glowing past and optimistic future:
“We are very proud of how quickly we grown since our inception. We will now focus efforts on continuous improvement in our knowledge, relationships and innovation capabilities and, therefore, our total service range. We will achieve this by working with our diverse and growing range of stakeholders to maximise value.”
17/08/2004
