Resources

Report
18 October 2023

The Recycling Tracker is an annual survey of UK households that gathers evidence on recycling attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour. ​It is the largest and longest running of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2004. ​

The survey uses boost sampling in Northern Ireland to provide a robust, enhanced sample of Northern Irish citizens. Fieldwork was undertaken online, from 20 - 30 March 2023. A total of 5,343 interviews were undertaken UK-wide with adults who have responsibility for dealing with the rubbish and recycling in the home. This included a sample of 563 adults in Northern Ireland. The sample matches the known profile of the Northern Ireland population, with quotas set on age, gender, region and social grade.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Service design
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • National government and departments
Report
18 October 2023

The Recycling Tracker is an annual survey of UK households that gathers evidence on recycling attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour. ​It is the largest and longest running of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2004. ​

Fieldwork was undertaken online from 20 - 30 March 2023. A total of 5,343 interviews were undertaken with UK adults who have responsibility for dealing with the rubbish and recycling in the home. The sample matches the known profile of the population, with quotas set on age, gender, region, social class, and ethnicity.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Service design
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • National government and departments
Webinar
11 September 2023

A webinar to support the launch of the Recycle Week 2023 toolkit and assets that are available to download and customise for local use in England and Northern Ireland.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Communicating with residents
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Local Authorities
Report
20 February 2023

WRAP and Recycle Now's recycling tracker provides insights into UK citizen’s attitudes towards recycling as well as a greater understanding of their recycling related behaviours. It is an annual survey of UK citizens that gathers evidence on recycling attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour. It is the largest and longest running of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2004.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments
Report
26 January 2023

With government plans to introduce mandatory kerbside collections for films and flexibles by 2027 there is a growing need for a consistent terminology to effectively communicate to citizens. Between March 2020 and October 2022 WRAP undertook three rounds of citizen testing to measure the clarity and effectiveness of a wide range in terminology, with a clear preference presenting itself, as well as key principles for communicating positive recycling behaviour.

Initiatives:
  • Eliminating problem plastics
  • The UK Plastics Pact
  • Film and flexible packaging
  • Waste management and end markets
  • Behaviour change interventions
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Service design
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Report
17 October 2022

WRAP’s recycling tracker provides insights into UK citizen’s attitudes towards recycling as well as a greater understanding of their recycling related behaviours. It is an annual survey of UK citizens that gathers evidence on recycling attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour. It is the largest and longest running of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2004.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments
Report
19 July 2022

WRAP’s recycling tracker provides insights into UK citizen’s attitudes towards recycling as well as a greater understanding of their recycling related behaviours. It is an annual survey of UK citizens that gathers evidence on recycling attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour. It is the largest and longest running of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2004.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments
Guide
1 October 2021

National agreement from the recycling industry on what can and cannot be collected for recycling from householders and how those materials should be presented for collection.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Re-use and recycling
Sector:
  • Local Authorities
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
Report
1 July 2021

The Recycling Tracker is the largest and longest running survey on recycling attitudes, values and behaviours. The Spring 2021 survey had a detailed focus on contamination, with previous waves of the tracker pointing to an increasing trend.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments
Guide
14 October 2020

Defra published the Litter Strategy for England in April 2017, setting out their aim to deliver a substantial reduction in litter and littering within a generation. Good binfrastructure - the provision of litter disposal infrastructure -  is a key element of the Litter Strategy for England, along with education and awareness and improving enforcement.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Service design
  • Collections and sorting
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Litter/Fly-tipping
Sector:
  • Local Authorities
Guide
1 October 2020

These appendices provide supporting information to the Household food waste collections guide.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Consistency in collections
  • Service design
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Recycling in urban areas
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Local Authorities