Pathway To Zero Waste wins £1m boost from European Regional Development Fund

Date: March 23rd 2010

Pathway To Zero Waste (PTZW) has been successful in a bid for matched funding worth £1m from the South East European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Competitiveness Programme 2007-13*.

Building on the initial investment from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, the contribution from ERDF takes PTZW’s total operating budget for the first three years of the programme to £3m.

PTZW will use the additional ERDF support to accelerate and expand delivery of many key projects concentrating on construction and demolition waste, and to promote the outputs to a much wider audience than originally anticipated.

Dr Chindarat Taylor, PTZW Director said: “I’m delighted that ERDF has recognised PTZW’s ability to make a massive difference to the economic, environmental and social well-being of the South East, by making sure that materials currently thought of as ‘waste’ are managed as a valuable resource instead.

“ERDF’s support is a real endorsement of the work we’ve done so far, and will help us get more organisations on the Pathway To Zero Waste much more quickly, giving the overall impact of our programme a significant lift.

“We now aim to reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste going to landfill in the South East by almost two million tonnes by the end of March 2011.”

PTZW projects that will benefit from ERDF funding include:

• new advice for local authorities on how to use the planning process to reduce construction and demolition waste
• a model construction materials recycling facility business case to encourage investment in new sites to handle and recover construction waste
• improving the effectiveness of mechanisms for buying, selling and exchanging waste and recycled materials
• improving the quality and availability of data on construction waste types and flows
• innovative approaches to tackling waste crime
• increasing and improving the use of Site Waste Management Plans.
• awareness campaigns backed up with practical guidance for architects and construction SMEs on minimising waste.
  
  

Pathway To Zero Waste was launched by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn in March 2009. Funded by Defra, SEEDA and the Environment Agency it aims to relieve pressure on scarce landfill capacity in the South East, simultaneously improving the region’s environmental and economic performance by:

• reducing the amount of surplus and waste material generated by commercial and industrial activities
• increasing the amount that is reused, recycled or converted to energy instead of being sent to landfill.
  
  

It is working with hundreds of organisations across the South East, including local authorities, construction clients and their supply chains and waste management companies, providing direct support to change their current operational practices.

It is also progressing numerous projects intended to create a ‘catalytic effect’ that will drive behavioural change across the entire region.

“We are making a significant, measurable contribution to reduced volumes of material going to landfill. In doing so we are also helping the region climb out of recession, “ continued Dr Taylor.

“The benefits we are delivering will be felt for many, many years to come.”

* The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) manages the South East ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-13 on behalf of the region. The ERDF has allocated £15.2 million (€23.706) to the South East over the period 2007-13.

The total value of the programme is €47.412m (£30.4m) running. The aim of programme is to promote competitiveness and sustainability to stimulate innovation and encourage efficient business practice whilst reducing the region’s ecological footprint.

All PTZW media enquiries, contact:
Dan Taylor, Communications Manager
0118 953 5269 or info@ptzw.co.uk

All SEEDA media enquiries, contact:
Stuart Pearson, PR & Media Manager
01483 501362 or stuartpearson@seeda.co.uk