One in three of Wales’s three million workers are employed in the public sector and environment minister Jane Davidson will today (October 21) call for ‘greater co-operation’ between local authorities and the third sector.

The minister will be the keynote speaker at the Cylch Conference of Welsh community recycling and reuse groups in Cardiff today.

She will urge community recycling and reuse groups to adopt a more ‘entrepreneurial approach’ to protect public services.

The minister will say high levels of recycling will mean new green jobs for Wales.

Pointing to research from Friends of the Earth Ms Davidson will claim that if the rest of the UK were to adopt the same high recycling targets as Wales this would create more than 50,000 new jobs.

Ms Davidson will say: “Third sector organisations working in the waste management sector make significant contributions to the welfare of communities, over and above their delivery of a particular recycling or reuse service.

“At a time when there are financial pressures on the public purse, it makes even more sense for local authorities to partner social enterprises.

“In the coming years, this sector and the wider community must prepare to make a full contribution to the protection of public services against a background of spending cuts.

“This will require a more entrepreneurial approach whilst retaining the ethos of community benefit.”

Luke Walsh

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