Resources

Non-mechanical recycling has the potential to significantly increase the UK’s recycling rates, enable recycled content to be used back in packaging and divert valuable resources from landfill and incineration. Working alongside traditional mechanical recycling, it will have a big impact towards the redesign of our plastics system in the UK and our vision of a circular economy for plastics.

This paper sets out the WRAP’s position on the use of non-mechanical recycling technologies and how it must be effectively utilised to support the transition towards a circular economy for plastics in the UK.

The UK Plastics Pact is transforming the way that the UK makes, uses and disposes of plastic. 

Over halfway to our 2025 targets, the Roadmap sets out the specific milestones and activities which are critical if we are to achieve our goals in the years remaining.

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.

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.

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 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. 

Research exploring the current behaviours around carrier bag use and attitudes related to the use of bags for life and to the current 5p carrier bag charge amongst consumers in England.

WRAP has carried out research on the contribution resource efficiency can make to achieving climate change targets. It covers supply of and demand for materials and products in the UK economy, and also accounts for the trade with the rest of the world. Thus, it covers the contribution from UK territorial emissions and from emissions related to consumption of goods and services imported from abroad.

This report is for businesses seeking to make improvements to packaging design by taking a systemic view of material choices to lower the environmental impacts of packaging.

Presenting our 2019-20 annual report. A year on from our inaugural annual report where we published our 2018 baseline data we can now present our 2019 data highlights and member actions. 

Produced in association with RECOUP this guide provides and highlights priority issues reported by those sorting and reprocessing rigid plastic packaging, together with solutions.