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 Gate Fees 2021/22 report summarises the findings of WRAP’s fifteenth annual gate fees survey. The survey covers gate fees charged to local authorities in the UK for a range of municipal waste recycling, recovery, and disposal options.

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.

The Recycling Tracker is the largest and longest running survey on recycling attitudes, values and behaviours.It is the largest and longest running of its kind, having been undertaken by WRAP since 2004.

The Resource Action Fund (RAF) was an £18 million fund, provided by Defra to support resource efficiency projects, with the goal of diverting, reducing, and better managing waste.

A high-level desk-based research study and series of stakeholder interviews has been conducted to ascertain the key non-technical challenges to the implementation of non-mechanical recycling in the UK, with particular emphasis on legislative elements. 

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.

This report summarises the methods and findings of a project to understand the impacts of enhanced material sampling on facilities that receive recyclables.

This report details information gathered about single use cups and on the go fibre-composite food packaging.

The aim of this project was to gather data on the flows of single-use cups and on-the-go fibre-composite food packaging placed on market and recycled in the UK (and by nation). It also aimed to identify options for managing these items to help reduce environmental impact , and this included an assessment of potential policy measures.

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?

Since 2011, WRAP Cymru’s Collaborative Change Programme (CCP) for Wales has offered strategic and technical support to help local authorities develop and deliver detailed plans to achieve the outcomes of Wales’ waste strategy, Towards Zero Waste – One Wales, One Planet: overarching waste strategy.

Join some of the team to share the lessons they have learnt and to discuss the part they are playing in helping Wales to reach their ambitions to become the world leader in recycling.

Following COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021, WRAP published the report Delivering climate ambition through a more circular economy which identifies the potential for a more circular economy to create net increases in employment in the UK and the EU, whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and demand for raw materials.