A wide variety of colorful fresh fruit and vegetables

WRAP's response to the European Green Deal and Circular Economy for Textiles

5 July 2023

Today the European Commission announced steps to tackle food waste and textiles, as part of its European Green Deal and Circular Economy for Textiles.

Dr Richard Swannell FRSA, Director of Impact Growth WRAP - who addressed the EU Parliament on food waste in July - said, “Last year, WRAP revealed the shocking fact that of 193 countries submitting Nationally Determined Contributions at COP, only nine committed to reducing food waste. With global food production alone currently pushing the Earth beyond the 1.5°C mark, this dangerous lack of foresight into our food system risks undermining essential climate action efforts. Today’s announcement by the European Commission for Member States to set food waste reduction targets is a positive step forward.

“The UK is working towards an ambitious target to halve its own food waste by 2030, in line with the UN’s global ambition, and is already more than halfway to that goal. There is a real opportunity for more of the world to tackle the environmental impacts and social injustices of food waste.

"It is also good to see a serious focus being put on clothing. WRAP’s research has set out how an EPR for textiles could work in the UK, which we believe is vital to tackle the huge environmental issues linked to textiles, and support a move towards fibre-to-fibre recycling.”

Notes to Editor

  • WRAP is a climate action NGO working around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future. Our vision is a thriving world in which climate change is no longer a problem. We believe that our natural resources should not be wasted and that everything we use should be re-used and recycled. We bring together and work with governments, businesses and individuals to ensure that the world’s natural resources are used more sustainably. Our core purpose is to help tackle climate change and protect our planet by changing the way things are produced, consumed and disposed of.
  • Our work includes: UK Plastics Pact, Courtauld Commitment 2030, Textiles 2030 and the citizen campaigns Love Food Hate Waste and Recycle Now. We run Food Waste Action Week and Recycle Week.