May 25 2008
Recycling businesses working to divert construction industry waste from landfill are being offered the opportunity to boost reprocessing capacity by applying for funding though the new capital grant programme launched by WRAP (Waste + Resources Action Programme).
WRAP is working with the construction industry to achieve the objectives set out in the Government’s Waste Strategy Review - halving waste to landfill by 2012 – by engaging with all stages of the construction supply chain. From policy makers and clients, designers and contractors through to waste management contractors, collectors and processors, WRAP is helping them to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
Establishing a robust infrastructure that can provide the reprocessing capacity required to achieve this target is therefore a critical consideration and to help industry address the challenge, WRAP has launched a new capital grant scheme.
This competitive process is designed to facilitate investment that will lead to increases in operators’ additional capacity to process construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste from construction sites. This investment is primarily focused on inviting applications from new installations but could also support improvements in the recovery efficiencies of existing materials recycling facilities (MRFs) and processors.
David Connor, Material Recycling Project Manager for WRAP explains: “The purpose of this Capital Grant Programme is to provide grants that will help develop the capacity needed to recycle construction demolition and excavation waste. We are specifically interested in proposals that will significantly increase the quantity and quality of CD&E waste materials recovered, separated and recycled from construction sites, and which can act as exemplars to encourage greater investment in recycling capacity.”
Initially targeting England, with a view to launching a separate programme for Scotland in the autumn, the WRAP CD&E waste Capital Grant Programme covers a wide range of materials, including - but not restricted to - off-cuts and waste timber, plastics, glass, packaging waste and inert materials such as soils. It is open to companies wanting to develop new or existing CD&E waste processing and recycling facilities and provides up to 30% of the total costs of plant, equipment and infrastructure.
As well as being located in England, applicants must be able to demonstrate that their project would process CD&E waste arisings that would otherwise have gone to landfill. The project must be dependent on WRAP support for viability and be commercially sustainable in the medium and long term, resulting in an auditable annual output for a minimum of five years. Applicants must also demonstrate that there is a clearly defined end market for the outputs of their project.
The deadline for applications is 1.30pm on Wednesday 16th July 2008, with applicants being informed of WRAP’s decision in August. The outcome of the capital investment must be operational by 31st October 2010.
Full eligibility criteria and details on how to apply are available online at www.wrap.org.uk or by contacting WRAP on 01295 819612.