EU earmarks funding for British waste trailblazers

The Environment Agency and Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority are among the beneficiaries of EU funding for eight UK pathfinder environmental projects.


The European Commission has approved 20.5m euros in funding for the initiatives under the LIFE+ programme, the EU environment fund. Two of the projects are waste-related and will look at issues around landfill gas capture and public engagement.

The first, ACUMEN, being led by the Environment Agency will demonstrate how methane from expired and closed landfill sites can be captured. Economic and technical uncertainties have so far hampered the wide take-up of new technologies to manage methane emissions from these sites.

The project will aim to show how these can be overcome through a combination of innovative technologies and techniques, and will establish the technical and economic viability of capturing, using and mitigating methane in the process.

The second initiative UP&FORWARD COMS involves Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority who will demonstrate how waste policy can be more effectively implemented by municipalities through changing behaviour using targeted communications in specific low-performing areas.

The project will help understand how to evaluate, monitor and develop policies that can only be delivered by active engagement with the public.

In awarding the funding, Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “These latest LIFE+ projects continue a trend, started two decades ago, for innovative and best practice actions furthering nature conservation, improving the environment and tackling climate change.”

Maxine Perella

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