Resources

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
1 December 2022

Through The UK Plastics Pact we are redesigning the plastics system, working across the entire plastics value chain to reduce its climate impact, by stopping plastic waste, and the harmful emissions of new plastic production, keeping the material in the economy and out of the environment.

We are over halfway to The UK Plastics Pact targets and our 2021-22 annual report gives an honest appraisal of progress and challenges. 

Initiatives:
  • 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
  • Consistency in collections
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Re-use
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
  • Market situation reports
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
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
7 September 2022

This report from WRAP and the University of Leeds builds on previous research to provide a quantitative assessment of possible policy interventions to reduce resource consumption and green house gas emissions associated with their production.

Initiatives:
  • Plastic Packaging
  • Reuse and refill
  • Waste management and end markets
  • Public Sector Procurement Support
  • Food and drink
  • Reducing and preventing food waste
  • Textiles
  • Collections & recycling
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
  • Electricals
Sector:
  • Hospitality and food service
  • Manufacturers
  • Textiles sourcers, producers and designers
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
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
Report
2 August 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Collections and sorting
  • Dry materials
  • Recovered materials markets
  • Gate fees
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
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
Report
19 July 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Service design
  • Communicating with residents
  • Contamination prevention
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Dry materials
  • Organics
Sector:
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments
  • Non-governmental organisations
Report
5 July 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Collections and sorting
  • Re-use and recycling
Sector:
  • Local Authorities
  • National government and departments
Report
26 March 2022

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

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
  • Collections and sorting
  • Kerbside collection
  • Material Recovery Facilities
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Sector:
  • Retailers and brands
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • Trade associations
  • National government and departments
Report
17 February 2022

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.

Initiatives:
  • Collections & recycling
Sector:
  • Manufacturers
  • Waste management and reprocessors
  • Local Authorities
  • Packaging producers
  • National government and departments
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