Resources

This report is the latest in our bi-annual surveys of UK households and gathers evidence on food waste attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour. It is the largest and longest running series of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2007.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Protecting critical water resources for food supply, for nature and for local communities.

Whistles wanted to approach durability across different aspects of the business, having identified that making garments last longer was important to its customers, the brand and the environment. WRAP and Whistles looked at opportunities to improve the durability of clothing by ensuring customers have a positive experience when visiting Whistles stores, using the website, and when taking their clothes home.

There has never been a better time for forward thinking businesses to get ahead of regulation. There is a business imperative to collaborate, innovate and find ways to create both impact and commercial opportunity. The challenge is to go beyond targets by delivering practical changes that go beyond ‘greenwash’.

‘Circularity’ is becoming a buzzword in the fashion industry. But what does this actually mean for fashion & textile businesses?

How does circularity fit into wider conversations on sustainable and responsible business, and on reducing the textiles industry’s impact on the environment?

In the first six months of its existence, Textiles 2030 has recruited over 92 signatories and affiliates, spanning brands, retailers, re-use and recycling organisations from across the fashion and textiles sector.  Textiles 2030 signatories already represent 62% of all clothing put on the market in the UK.