A ministerial move to help business become more efficient has been backed by the CBI.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is today announcing that £284 million from the Landfill Tax will be put into a programme to help businesses save money.

Environment secretary Margaret Beckett said that if businesses use the new services "they should be able to recoup the increasing costs of landfill by reducing the amount of waste they send to landfill as well as driving down energy use".

The CBI welcomed the extra funding.

"Given that this revenue is coming from business it is absolutely right that it is being spent to help business save money by cutting its production of waste and being more energy efficient," said Michael Roberts, CBI director of business environment.