Resources

Report
25 October 2022

We need to radically transform our relationship with single-use plastic packaging and a key part of this will be the move to reuse and refill for many everyday items we purchase.

Our latest report and research explores citizen behaviours around reuse and refill. In partnership with Asda and Unilever, we shadowed research participants across the whole of their shopping journey. From pre-shop preparation to instore experience, we evaluated how our trial participants interacted with refill zones and developed and tested a series of instore behaviour change interventions. All designed to improve the reuse and refill shopping experience for our participants.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Reducing and preventing food waste
Sector:
  • Hospitality and food service
  • Retailers and brands
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Report
17 August 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Guide
16 June 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
Sector:
  • Hospitality and food service
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Webinar
17 March 2022

In this webinar the Recycle Now and Clear on Plastics teams will get you up to speed on everything you need to know about WRAP’s first citizen campaign encouraging citizens to recycle plastic bags and wrapping at supermarkets.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Collections & recycling
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Re-use and recycling
Sector:
  • Local Authorities
Report
24 February 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Food and drink
  • Reducing and preventing food waste
  • Courtauld Commitment
  • Food date labelling
  • Fresh produce sector
  • Household food waste
Sector:
  • Retailers and brands
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Report
15 December 2021

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.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Food and drink
  • Reducing and preventing food waste
Sector:
  • Retailers and brands
  • Packaging producers
Webinar
2 December 2021

In this webinar you will hear about the latest national campaign from WRAP's citizen behaviour team, set to go live in March 2022, encouraging citizens to recycle plastic bags and wrapping at supermarket front of store locations, following the rollout of collections by retailers.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Collections & recycling
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Kerbside collection
  • Re-use and recycling
Sector:
  • Local Authorities
Report
30 November 2021

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?

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
  • Collections & recycling
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
Sector:
  • Hospitality and food service
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Report
16 September 2021

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.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
  • Food and drink
  • Reducing and preventing food waste
  • Measuring and reporting food waste
  • Surplus food redistribution
  • Water stewardship
  • Courtauld Commitment
  • Food Waste Reduction Roadmap
  • Guardians of Grub
  • Guardians of Grub Becoming a Champion
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
  • Food date labelling
  • Meat, poultry and fish
  • Fresh produce sector
  • Dairy sector
  • Bakery sector
  • Ambient foods sector
  • Convenience, chilled foods and frozen
  • Funding
  • Whole chain resource efficiency
  • Household food waste
  • Behaviour change interventions
  • TRIFOCAL
  • Refresh
  • UN SDG 12.3
  • Textiles
  • Fibre & fabric selection
  • Consumer behaviour
  • Re-use & recycling
  • Non-clothing textiles
  • Design for extending clothing life
  • SCAP 2020
  • Textiles 2030
  • ECAP
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Service design
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • HWRCs & bring sites
  • Commercial waste
  • Material Recovery Facilities
  • Re-use
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
  • Recovered materials markets
  • Market situation reports
  • Market snapshots
  • Gate fees
  • UN SDG 12.5
  • Electricals
  • Product durability
  • Minimising product returns
  • Consumer behaviour
  • Re-use and recycling
  • Circular Economy Fund
  • Public Sector Procurement Support
Sector:
  • Farmers and growers
  • Hospitality and food service
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Textiles sourcers, producers and designers
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Guide
13 May 2021

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. 

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
Sector:
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Report
6 May 2021

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.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Plastic packaging design
  • Global Plastics Pacts
  • Reuse and refill
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
  • Collections & recycling
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Re-use
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Packaging producers
Report
3 March 2021

A report to the Defra Packaging Collections Recycling Working Group on the implementation of plastic film/flexibles recycling within consistency policy.

Initiatives:
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments