An "unprecedented" £9.8 million cash injection over three years will see Recycling Action Yorkshire (RAY) rebrand, expand and offer increased resource efficiency support to businesses in the region.
RAY will become Resource Efficiency Yorkshire (REY) with a remit to develop demand for resource efficiency, new technology, services and build support capacity for organisations like Business Link Yorkshire. Another key element of the project is to align support and investment.
As well as expanding the work currently conducted by RAY, REY will also launch a new range of work streams or projects. The organisation is looking at more support for waste electrical and electronic equipment services and other recyclers and developing skills in the sector because a skills shortage has been identified. There will also be increased promotion of RAY's EcoBuy project to industry.
RAY currently has about eight staff but REY will soon be recruiting 19 more people to the team.
REY programme director Andrew Hartley called the funding "an unprecedented commitment" to helping the region's businesses to reduce costs and boost green markets. He said resource efficiency presented a unique opportunity for businesses to win new contracts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"REY foresees a future where we 'decouple' economic growth from resource use and its environmental impact. But this can only be done by creating new businesses, jobs and attracting investment in new generation environmental businesses that service the needs of all businesses in the region that want to 'green' their operations," said Hartley.
Funding for this project was made up of £5.8 million from Yorkshire Forward and £4.0 million from the European Regional Development Fund.
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