More money is being made available to public sector bodies in Wales to help them reduce and recycle waste. An extra 122,000 pounds funding has been announced by the Welsh Assembly Government on top of 100,000 pounds announced last year.The money will ensure the continuation of schemes that are already in place, such as publicity and training, and allow further developments, including a capital fund for bids for recycling equipment.

Welsh Assembly Minister Carwyn Jones said the public sector was a major employer and purchaser of goods and services and had a valuable role to play in minimising the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites. “Sending waste to landfill sites is unsustainable, and we all need to take responsibility for finding alternatives,” he said.

The funding will allow the continued sponsorship of the ARENA Network ‘Public Sector Waste Minimisation’ Award and the production of resources packs, including CDs and DVDs. New projects that can now be funded will include a capital fund for bids for recycling equipment, with a maximum bid for 5,000 pounds from any single organisation. There will also be money for training and on-site support provided by Envirowise for Public Sector bodies and for the production of publicity material for the waste reduction campaign. There will be a certificate for Public Sector bodies that sign up to campaign.