Defra allocates £319 million to landfill waste reduction

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has appointed £319 million to improving waste facilities in the south of England, it has been revealed.

Through its Private Finance Initiative, the body will allocate the funds to the areas of Hertfordshire, Norfolk and the South London Waste Partnership to divert rubbish from landfill and explore alternative disposal options.

Hertfordshire County Council, which will concentrate on diverting 170,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste, will receive £115.3 million.

Norfolk County Council, which has similar intentions, will be allocated £91 million of the funds, while the South London Waste Partnership will receive £112.9 million.

"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," stated environment minister Jane Kennedy.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Montreal-based firm Enerkem announced last week that its new landfill site, to be built in Missouri, will convert 60 per cent of the waste it receives into biofuel.