Cylch Projects - High diversion exemplar projects

Projects

High diversion exemplars

History
The high diversion exemplars are long-term projects designed to change the way that Wales deals with waste. They were developed out of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and Cylch (the Wales Community Recycling Network).

Both parties wished to develop practical initiatives to fulfil the MoU, hence the concept of local authority or community sector partnerships seeking to achieve high diversion rates from waste disposal was born. Resultant partnerships were encouraged to divert at least 50 per cent of municipal waste from disposal (including landfill and energy from waste) and to provide examples of best practice for other regions to follow.

The Assembly Government has supported the exemplar initiative since its inception and endorsed its approach in 'Wise about Waste: the National Waste Strategy for Wales'.

High diversion exemplar objectives:

to develop long-term strategic approaches to municipal resource management
to obtain maximum social, environmental and economic benefit
to promote innovative approaches to materials management
to provide materials banks throughout local authority areas
to provide comprehensive, multi-material kerbside collection service to householders and businesses
to encourage high levels of composting (including kitchen waste)
to encourage community sector input returning triple bottom line benefits

Exemplars
The WLGA asked Welsh Local Authorities (22 in total) to send expressions of interest in becoming an exemplar. 14 expressed interest and eight applied, from which WLGA, Cylch, WAG and the Environment Agency representatives, selected five final exemplars: Anglesey, Ceredigion, Powys, Torfaen and Newport.

Workshops
Workshops were arranged for the partnerships to help them work effectively and to prepare comprehensive business plans.

Innovative results
The exemplars have put in place many innovative methods to achieve their targets including:

new collection methods based on the use of electrical vehicles
reduced frequency of residual waste collections from weekly to fortnightly

Funding
Funding is supplied from:

lottery money (New Opportunities Fund - Cleanstream® now closed)
European Objective One and Two funds
landfill tax credits
the Strategic Recycling Scheme (SRS)

In total the amount available for exemplar projects across Wales is £30m.

External monitoring and reporting
The exemplars progress is tightly tracked by Jacobs Babtie who undertake independent monitoring of the exemplar projects and produce annual progress reports.