NI businesses get £1m waste incentive

Northern Ireland businesses are being given a £1 million incentive to develop projects for recycling waste materials.

For the second year running, the Waste Management Industry Fund, a joint initiative by the DoE’s Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) and Invest NI, is aiming at stimulating new projects from individuals and existing commercial organisations.

The fund is designed to encourage new and existing businesses to implement projects which will reduce the mountain of waste discarded annually in Northern Ireland. It will also offer grants to capital projects such as plant machinery and equipment.

Richard Rogers, Chief Executive of EHS, said: “I would ask businesses to give serious consideration to the financial opportunity which this fund represents. Both Agencies agree that the requirement to create better markets for recovered materials is very important in terms of economic development and the need to move away from landfill.”

The scheme, which represents a working example of ‘joined up’ government, aims to place its emphasis on creating markets for recovered materials, while Invest NI’s interest focuses more on economic development and job creation.

(MB)