Resources

In March 2022, WRAP’s first citizen campaign encouraging citizens to recycle plastic bags and wrapping at supermarkets will go live. The campaign from Recycle Now and Clear on Plastics will encourage citizens to recycle plastic bags and wrapping at supermarket front of store locations, following the rollout of collections by retailers.

The research looked at: 

• If packaging extends the shelf life of fruit and vegetables;
• If selling items loose enables households to buy an appropriate amount for their needs; and
• How people make decisions about when to throw away fruit and vegetables, and what role does a ‘Best Before’ date have on these decisions.

Ground-breaking research into the relationship between plastic packaging and five fruit and vegetable items frequently wasted at home, as well as the impact of date labels and storage temperatures, reveals significant opportunities to reduce both food waste and plastic packaging.

Plastics play an important role in our daily lives and can often play a critical role, for instance, in protecting food and preventing food waste. But we must take urgent action where the use of plastic is problematic or unnecessary, to stop the issues plastic presents to our environment.

UK Plastics Pact members account for two thirds of all consumer plastic packaging used in the UK and they are strengthening their ambition in the fight against plastic waste. Building on the eight problem plastics identified for elimination in 2019, six new plastic items and materials have been set for elimination.

Around 10 million tonnes of food waste is generated post-farm gate every year in the UK and around 70% of this comes from households. Fresh fruit and vegetables account for a third of all household food thrown away that could have been eaten (1.6 million tonnes; £3.8 billion). Almost half of the fresh fruit and vegetables are discarded due to not being eaten in time.

Learn about the attitudes and behaviours around plastics, packaging, instore refill and bring-back recycling. The research has been co-funded by UK Research and Innovation.

Hear from the citizen behaviour team on the latest national campaign, set to go live in March. The campaign from Recycle Now and Clear on Plastics will encourage citizens to recycle plastic bags and wrapping at supermarket front of store locations, following the rollout of collections by retailers.

Our third Annual Report provides the most complete picture of action on tackling plastic packaging waste in the UK. It combines aggregated Pact member data from right across the supply chain, with examples of members progress against the targets. This enables us pinpoint where specific action is needed.

So, three years in, what does the picture look like?

WRAP and UKRI are delighted to be able to offer an International Circular Plastics Flagship Competition covering the areas of India, Chile, Kenya and South Africa. 

If you believe you have the experience, knowledge, facilities, and passion to deliver a project that will make a real impact, we want to hear from you. Apply by 13 January 2022 at 23:45 GMT.

Please download the Guidance Document for more information. 

WRAP was commissioned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to carry out a pre-pilot feasibility study and trial a range of ‘green nudges’ aimed to positively change individual-level citizen behaviours around single-use plastic at coffee shops in Sweden.

WRAP works with governments, businesses and citizens to create a world in which resources are used sustainably. Read our April 2020-21 annual review to learn more about our mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, resource-efficient economy.

The ambition of The UK Plastics Pact is for supermarkets to provide widespread collection points for plastic bags and wrapping in advance of kerbside collections, and collect 10% of material that is placed onto the market by the end of 2022. Consistency in these collection points will be important to avoid confusion for citizens and maximise the amount collected. This guide will help retailers simplify recycling for you and your customers.