Community Recycling 

Q4 Lorraine Barrett: Will the Minister provide an update on Welsh Assembly Government initiatives to support community recycling? OAQ(3)0501(ESH)

Jane Davidson: The Assembly Government supports Cylch, the Wales community recycling network, to promote community-based recycling initiatives such as those promoting re-use, recycling, composting, waste minimisation and public education. I have recently provided an additional £3 million to develop a re-use sector fund, including furniture re-use.

Lorraine Barrett: That initiative is greatly welcomed. Will you do all that you can to urge local authorities to work in partnership with their local community recycling initiatives, perhaps taking a social benefit approach to their waste management policies, to increase the share of contract work that might be won by the third sector in this area?

Jane Davidson: I am happy to endorse some very successful third sector models for community recycling in Wales. I meet local authorities regularly to discuss the waste issue, and I strongly encourage them to take forward these kinds of opportunities. I am also considering setting a statutory re-use target in our review of the waste plan, which I will bring forward shortly. It is important that we recycle every possible material.