Resource Efficiency Yorkshire (REY)

Description

REY is a not for profit organisation set up with core funding from Yorkshire Forward and ERDF, REY has been developed in partnership with key regional and national stakeholders.

REY works with existing groups and through new programmes to increase waste minimisation, re-use and recycling, to make significant contributions to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, create new jobs and businesses and attract increased private sector investment.

Market development activities

REY’s aim is to help environmental businesses in Yorkshire & Humber to grow.

REY’s priority areas are to work with the general business community to raise awareness of business resource efficiency productivity and cost saving benefits and to support selected businesses to implement resource efficiency improvements. This is done through the provision of a range of support programmes including a regional resource exchange, a resource efficiency implementation funding scheme and through funding for innovative projects. Key to this is partnership working and mainstreaming resource efficiency advice to businesses. This is being done through a strong partnership with Business Link and a major capacity building programme and by continuing to develop the working relationships and information sharing with regional and national partners such as WRAP, Carbon Trust and Envirowise.

REY will continue to support recycling businesses and market development in priority areas such as plastics and glass recycling, increased processing of organic materials, use of organic composts in new markets including brown field land regeneration and increased procurement of recycled content products. REY is expanding this area to also cover wood, WEEE, support for social enterprises, innovation support, skills support, planning and licensing support and assistance to businesses to access private sector investment.

REY makes capital investments and loans, develops joint ventures and provides other business support such as advice, demonstration projects, technical consultancy and research to support businesses which demonstrate the potential to increase the tonnages they reduce, re-use, recycle or recover.

REY is a 3 year, £10m programme of support to organisations based in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The REY programme is focussing on those areas which result in greatest environmental benefit, measured in reduced GHG emissions, combined with the greatest regional significance for Yorkshire and Humber.

Funding sources

• Yorkshire Forward
• European Regional Development Fund

Partners

Yorkshire Forward, Environment Agency, Government Office Yorkshire & Humber, Yorkshire & Humber Assembly, Local Authorities x 22.

Accreditations