The Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has secured a £295 million funding for separating food waste collections.
Defra packaging producer responsibility team leader Linda Crichton shared the update at the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) Conference, as reported by Let’s Recycle.
Crichton said: “We announced some time ago that £295 million of capital funding will be allocated to support the transition to food waste collections. And a formula for that and how that money will be allocated to local authorities is being developed for the release of that funding.
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“We have been engaging with local authority representative organisations on the principles that will be used to develop that funding and we have secured some funding for the resource costs, but we are currently estimating what the combined total resource costs will be to support the introduction of food waste collections.”
“It’s still our intention that we will provide further information to local authorities on all the new burden grants, including when funding is likely to be received and how that funding will be distributed, in due course,” Crichton added.
Crichton added however that although progress from Defra isn’t moving “as fast as some might like,” it is moving forward.
“So, as soon as we get the simpler recycling government response out, we can start having these more open dialogues with you on the next steps.”
