This project is funded by Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.

The fund, managed by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, supports many worthwhile environmental projects involving local communities, education, biodiversity, heritage, and research into sustainable waste management.

Biffa is one of the UK's largest waste management companies providing environmentally advanced waste recycling, handling and disposal services for industry, commerce and local government.

The Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) also provides funding for the project.

TRADA is a membership organisation. It is an internationally recognised centre of excellence on the specification and use of timber and wood products. TRADA's mission is to build markets for timber and wood-based products and increase sales in the UK. TRADA maintains active programmes of research, information, and innovation on behalf of its members.

The Timber Industry Environment Trust (TIET) was established in 1999 and granted Environmental Body (EB) status by ENTRUST later the same year. TIET seeks opportunities to initiate partnership projects that will encourage sustainable practices within the timber industry. TIET's board of management includes representatives from a cross section of the timber industry and the waste management industry. TIET instigated this project and brought together the funding partnership. It retains overall management of the project.

TIET contracted TRADA Technology to manage the operational aspects of the project including research, the creation of the website, and the project's marketing and promotions strategy.

TRADA Technology provides a confidential range of expert services covering the full spectrum of business activity from strategic planning and market analysis through to product development, technical support and training.

Heads, Teachers and Industry (HTI) is an educational charity that promotes a better understanding of the future workplace and helps enhance leadership and management in schools. It does this by encouraging businesses to offer interim management and outsourcing opportunities to senior teachers. Heads, Teachers and Industry were granted Environmental Body status in 1996.

The landfill tax was introduced in the Finance Act and came into operation on 1 October 1996. It was the first truly 'green' tax in the UK and its purpose is to reflect the impact of landfill on the environment and also to help achieve the targets for more sustainable waste management as set out in the Government's White Paper, 'Making Waste Work'. The tax, levied on the tonnage of all material disposed of in landfill sites and collected by HM Customs and Excise, aims to encourage recycling and reduce waste by raising the cost of disposal.

The regulations allow landfill site operators to direct up to 20 per cent of the tax they have collected towards approved local and national environmental projects. However, any approved project can only receive 90 per cent of its desired funding from landfill tax. The remaining 10 per cent must come direct from the landfill site operator or from a third party company or organisation.

Read more about the Landfill Tax Credits Scheme (LTCS).

ENTRUST, the trading name of the Environmental Trust Scheme Regulatory Body Limited, is the private sector not-for-profit company limited by guarantee which is approved by Customs and Excise as the sole regulator of the LTCS. ENTRUST's prime responsibilities are to enrol qualifying organisations as Environmental Bodies (EBs), to approve projects proposed by EBs, and to audit and inspect their activities to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Landfill Tax Regulations 1996.