The Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (Defra) today announced £319.2 million in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding for three programmes to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

The three projects are:

• A £115.3 million Hertfordshire County Council effort to divert up to 170,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill per year;
• A £91 million Norfolk County Council programme to divert up to 70,000 tonnes of BMW from landfill annually by 2020;
• A £112.9 million South London Waste Partnership project to divert up to 102,600 tonnes of BMW from landfill per year.

“Reducing our reliance on landfill is an essential part of the drive to tackle climate change and I welcome the ambitious commitment made by these partnerships,” said Environment Minister Jane Kennedy. “This will create a real incentive for the local authorities and industry to work together to reduce waste as well as reducing the environmental impact of landfill.”

Together, the three projects aim for long-term minimum recycling and composting rates that will also reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 137,500 tonnes, equivalent to the yearly emissions of 43,200 cars.

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