Europe Supports Britains Bid to Recycle More
10 April 2006
Signalling continued support for the work of WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) in boosting the UK’s recycling and resource efficiency, the European Commission has approved, under EU State Aid rules, WRAP’s market development activity through to 2010.
Notified to the Commission for clearance last year, the extension also covers R&D and the latest materials – tyres, plasterboard and batteries – included within WRAP’s remit as part of Defra’s Business Resource Efficiency & Waste (BREW) programme.
The announcement will help WRAP to divert at least three million tonnes of material away from landfill through waste reduction and recycling. Chief Executive of WRAP, Jennie Price, said:
“I am delighted that the Commission has approved this extension to WRAP’s State Aid clearance. The UK is rising to the challenge of landfilling less and recycling more and this gives WRAP the green light to continue its efforts to boost our growing recycling industry.”
“I would like to thank the Commission’s competition and environment directorate officials, and colleagues from UKREP, DTI, SJ Berwin, Defra and the WRAP team for their sustained effort in achieving this breakthrough.”
The clearance, approved without any investigation, recognises that the WRAP programme is in line with the European Community’s environmental objectives and causes no undue distortion of competition. It means that WRAP initiatives to provide capital grants to stimulate recycling infrastructure in the UK can proceed, along with R&D projects to investigate new technologies and markets.
The announcement will help WRAP to divert at least three million tonnes of material away from landfill through waste reduction and recycling. Chief Executive of WRAP, Jennie Price, said:
“I am delighted that the Commission has approved this extension to WRAP’s State Aid clearance. The UK is rising to the challenge of landfilling less and recycling more and this gives WRAP the green light to continue its efforts to boost our growing recycling industry.”
“I would like to thank the Commission’s competition and environment directorate officials, and colleagues from UKREP, DTI, SJ Berwin, Defra and the WRAP team for their sustained effort in achieving this breakthrough.”
The clearance, approved without any investigation, recognises that the WRAP programme is in line with the European Community’s environmental objectives and causes no undue distortion of competition. It means that WRAP initiatives to provide capital grants to stimulate recycling infrastructure in the UK can proceed, along with R&D projects to investigate new technologies and markets.
Editor's notes:
- WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is a major UK programme established to promote resource efficiency. Its particular focus is on creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products and removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
- A not-for-profit company, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- WRAP is currently running fifteen programmes. Twelve of these relate to market development, comprising nine material streams (Paper, Plastics, Glass, Wood, Organics and Aggregates, Tyres, Batteries and Plasterboard) and three generic areas (Procurement, Financial Mechanisms and Regional Market Development). Three further programmes relate to the wider resource efficiency remit - Collections, Communications and Awareness and Waste Minimisation.
- More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk
Press Office
Senior Press Officer
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819695
press.office@wrap.org.uk
Senior Press Officer
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819695
press.office@wrap.org.uk
<p>Liz Goodwin
Director of Construction and Manufacturing
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819920
liz.goodwin@wrap.org.uk
Director of Construction and Manufacturing
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819920
liz.goodwin@wrap.org.uk
