Resources
The United Kingdom faces substantial economic challenges in its use of labour and scarce natural resources. While the economy has significantly increased its resource efficiency in recent years, supply risks in an increasingly competitive context mean that better use of natural resources is needed.
- Waste management and end markets
- Waste management and reprocessors
The route map is intended to help local authorities that collect waste to understand their legal obligations under the Regulations. It is particularly focused on Regulation 13, which concerns the separate collection of glass, metal, paper and plastic (‘the four materials’), but also explores closely related Regulation 12 requirements regarding the waste hierarchy.
- Collections & recycling
- Consistency in collections
- Service design
- Collections and sorting
- Kerbside collection
- Local Authorities
This report contains analysis of the impact of the carrier-bag charge introduced in Wales in 2011 on the sales of bin bags. It quantifies the increase in sales and compares this increase to the reduction in carrier-bag use that accompanied the introduction of the charge. There is also information on trends in sales of bags for life during this period.
- Plastic Packaging
This report is a quantification of the true cost of food waste in the UK’s Hospitality and Food Service industry.
More recent headline figures for food waste in the sector have been published in the Courtauld Commitment 2025 Milestone Progress Report.
- Food and drink
- Reducing and preventing food waste
- Measuring and reporting food waste
- Courtauld Commitment
- Food Waste Reduction Roadmap
- Guardians of Grub
- Guardians of Grub Becoming a Champion
- Hospitality and food service
- Trade associations
- Food and drink
- Courtauld Commitment
- Retailers and brands
This section takes you through the stages of developing your communications brand and its identity, the tone of voice for your communications and explains how to link to the national Recycle Now campaign brand to get the most out of it.
- Collections & recycling
- Service design
- Communicating with residents
- Local Authorities
In 2012, WRAP undertook a consumer survey and qualitative discussion groups to identify barriers to, and opportunities for, food and drink waste prevention in restaurants, pubs, quick service restaurants, hotels, staff restaurants and leisure venues.
- Food and drink
- Hospitality and food service
- Guardians of Grub
- Hospitality and food service
This report describes research that models the impact of purchases and consumption on waste levels. The model simulates a household over time and estimates the impact on waste levels of various decisions made relating to shopping, storing and consumption of milk.
- Food and drink
- Measuring and reporting food waste
- Retailers and brands
Workers carrying out collections of glass for recycling can be exposed to high levels of noise. This report provides information to employers and client authorities on the noise levels experienced by waste collection operatives on a variety of collection systems.
- Collections and sorting
- Local Authorities
An update to the 2006 report, reviewing high quality Life Cycle Assessments from around the world to assess the impact of alternative waste management options for a range of materials, and discuss the findings for each material in the context of the UK.
- Collections & recycling
- Collections and sorting
- Kerbside collection
- Commercial waste
- Material Recovery Facilities
- Recovered materials markets
- Waste management and reprocessors
Updated Household Food Waste Figures
More recent headline data on food waste for this sector was published by WRAP in May 2018
November 2011
Research shows that annual UK household food and drink waste has fallen by 1.1 million tonnes (13%) over a three year period from 8.3 million tonnes to an estimated 7.2 million tonnes. This avoided food and drink waste would fill the Wembley Stadium in London to the brim.
- Food and drink
- Reducing and preventing food waste
- Measuring and reporting food waste
- Courtauld Commitment
- Food Waste Reduction Roadmap
- Guardians of Grub
- Whole chain resource efficiency
- UN SDG 12.3
- Farmers and growers
- Hospitality and food service
- Manufacturers
- Retailers and brands