The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) is offering London councils funding to ‘deliver communications activity aimed at improving the performance of recycling and reuse services’.

Part of the LWARB Efficiencies Programme, LWARB’s £100,000 Borough Communications Support Programme (delivered by WRAP) offers London authorities financial support for the delivery of communications activity that supports borough services and specifically for the following types of project:

• new services – including the roll out of new services and the introduction of new materials to existing recycling collections;
• low performing areas – for example projects aimed at improving participation in services, improving capture rates, targeting low performing areas and estates;
• reuse – including the roll out of new reuse services and improving participation in existing service; and
• contamination – improving the quality of material collected through reducing contamination rates.

There will be no limit to the amount of funding that can be requested by any individual authority (up to the maximum of £100,000 available), but any funding requested cannot be used in place of internal communication budgets or to fund core communication activity. The fund will also not apply to waste prevention or commercial waste and recycling collection programmes.

LWARB has outlined that projects will be evaluated on the basis of

• the amount of additional waste tonnage that is recycled or reused;
• value for money (tonnage/£); and
• the ability to deliver savings for authorities through avoided disposal costs.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 30 June 2014.

It is anticipated that funding will be awarded to waste authorities by the end of July 2014 and that all projects will be rolled out by the end of December 2014.

So far this year (2013/14), LWARB has provided £300,000 of communication funding to 19 projects across London.

Apply for the Borough Communications Support Programme or find out more about LWARB’s Efficiencies Programme.