Government awards organic waste grants

Environment secretary Hilary Benn has revealed which organisations are to receive government funding to create energy from organic waste.

Organisations that have been selected to benefit from the Anaerobic Digestion Demonstration Programme include Biocycle South Shropshire, GWE Biogas and Staples Vegetables.

It is hoped that the £10 million in funding will help to reduce the amount of organic matter sent to landfill sites and in turn cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking this week, Mr Benn said the country has to address the way it deals with waste and view it as a resource - not as a problem.

"In the UK we produce 100 million tonnes of food and other organic waste every year that we could be using to create enough heat and energy to run over two million homes," he explained.

Meanwhile, waste management company Shanks has signed a 25-year agreement with Cumbria county council.

The deal - worth £700 million - will see much of the area's waste transferred to new mechanical biological treatment plants.

Written by Claire Manning