Ever Wondered What Exactly is WRAP?

Ever Wondered What Exactly is WRAP?

WRAP is the Waste and Resources Action Programme, an independent not-for-profit company set up in 2000 to help promote recycling in the UK and create a market for recycled materials. It is funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and the Welsh Government, as well as the European Union. WRAP work with a wide range of partners, from businesses and trade bodies to local councils and other public sector bodies, as well as individuals looking for practical recycling advice.

WRAP have two fundamental priorities; to minimise the use of resources and to divert priority materials from landfill, and by 2015, WRAP has the following aims:

-Whether it be in the home, work or elsewhere, to make it easier to re-use, recycle and repair as much of the UK's waste as possible.
-To enable the recovery of as much value as possible from collected waste, whether through recycling or as energy.
-Encourage a more informed consumption of resources as well as better design to help everyone waste less
-To help keep moving resources around the UK economy. The money saved results in less demand on scarce natural resources.

WRAP has been been a major player in the UK waste industry for a number of years, developing the well publicised campaigns “Recycle Now” and “Love Food Hate Waste”. They have also brokered a number of voluntary agreement s in a variety of business sectors, including the “Halving Waste to Landfill” initiative, which saw over 800 companies commit to reduce waste and projects with an estimated construction value of over £40 billion, and the Courtauld Commitment, which saw WRAP work with some of the UK's largest food and drink retailers and manufacturers to prevent 1.7 million tonnes of waste, saving £3.1 billion and reducing carbon emissions by 4.8 million tonnes.

WRAP promotes what is known as a 'circular economy', an economic model that is an alternative to the traditional linear model (make, use, dispose). A circular economy aims to keep valuable resources in use for as long as possible, exploiting every possible value from them whilst in use. As well as the obvious environmental benefits, a circular economy drives greater productivity of resources, makes the UK economy more competitive and positions the UK better to cope with inevitable resource scarcity issues in the future. 

More information on WRAP can be found at www.wrap.org.uk

Image courtesy of WRAP