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By: Dr Liz Goodwin CEO Posted: 22 May 2013
When investors came together today to discuss opportunities available to make money from the resource management sector, it once again brought to life for me what a rich seam this can be. It is a part of the UK economy, which has grown rapidly over the past decade but for some reason is sometimes overlooked. The key thing is to understand any barriers to investment and dismantle them. That...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 9 May 2013
I had great expectations when we launched the Courtauld Commitment back in 2005 to reduce waste from the world of food and drink. And we have come further than many thought possible – to date preventing 2.3 million tonnes of waste, the value of which is equivalent to £3.5 billion.Today we are launching Phase 3 with equally great expectations of a 1.1 million tonne waste reduction and £1.6...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO WRAP Posted: 26 Apr 2013
Tackling food waste is quite literally WRAP’s bread and butter. It was WRAP research which exposed the extent of the problem and led to initiatives to tackle it, for example the Courtauld Commitment and Love Food Hate Waste. It is these initiatives and their opportunities to help businesses and consumers waste less and save more that have been at the heart of many media stories today.
This...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 5 Mar 2013
There may be no cricket today from Lord’s – but instead of the sound of leather on willow, there’s news of an exciting initiative designed to help the £36bn event industry reduce waste.I’m here at one of the UK’s most prestigious sporting venues today to launch this initiative – an ‘events roadmap’ – which we believe can help the sector unlock additional financial savings and benefit not...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 6 Feb 2013
WRAP has been talking loops for a long time in our work on promoting resource efficiency, so I was delighted when the Ellen McArthur Foundation asked us to become a ’pioneer partner’ in its important new circular economy initiative.The Circular Economy 100 programme’s goals are to bring together 100 leading global companies in a programme of practical work which together, could deliver...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 1 Feb 2013
There is further evidence today that we are more and more coming to understand the huge value of all the materials flowing round our economy.
At our annual conference last November I highlighted, amongst other things, the success story around WRAP and recycling in the UK – not only in its contribution to the environment but also to economic growth.
The materials we put out for recycling are a...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 25 Jan 2013
On Tuesday, I was in a Geneva, sharing a platform with UNEP, FAO and their partners, helping to launch the global Think.Eat.Save campaign to reduce food waste.Today, I’m blogging from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where high on the agenda are the topics of economic growth and environmental sustainability. The issue of food security and waste, of course, plays into both.I’m here in Davos at...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 22 Jan 2013
Liz Goodwin blogs from GenevaI’ve always felt very strongly that we all have a responsibility when it comes to caring for our planet and its resources: to waste what we have seems pointless, irresponsible and short-term.When it comes to food waste, there is no doubt we are now waking up to the risks. I see WRAP’s role in the just-launched UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO WRAP Posted: 15 Jan 2013
I’ve noticed that the debate around food waste continues to have a head of steam in both the traditional media and on social networks – I don’t think anyone should expect this issue is going to go away.
This is the right time, I think, to reflect on how far we’ve come in the UK over the last decade or so and more importantly how we can move things forward. WRAP launched Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 10 Jan 2013
I was not surprised (and in fact, reassured) to see so much thoughtful coverage today of the critically-important issue of global food waste – a top priority for WRAP.I hope that #foodwaste is trending on Twitter because this is something that really matters, not only to us here in the UK, but globally. Wasting food means we’re wasting money, resources, water and energy, and all at a time when so...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 3 Jan 2013
The year has already got off to a great start with the news that local authorities in England are now recycling, composting or re-using 10.7m tonnes of waste … which means that for the first time since records began, we’re recycling more than we’re sending to landfill.
The same set of figures also shows that household waste generation has fallen, to 22.9m tonnes, or 431kg per household. This too...
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By: Beth Winkley Posted: 2 Jan 2013
I’m just back in the office after the Christmas break but as usual the emails are already piling up so I’ll keep this brief, however on behalf of everyone at WRAP I’d like to wish all of you a happy and prosperous New Year. 2013 looks set to be a decisive year for businesses in Wales. I was heartened to see the news that UK manufacturing output rose last month, and I hope this bodes...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 19 Dec 2012
I can’t believe that another year has passed by so quickly - it seems such a short time ago that I was thinking about my close-of-year blog for 2011.For WRAP and all our partners, 2012 has been a year of significant challenge, especially in relation to the continuing difficult economic situation, which has affected each and every one of us. Despite this, or perhaps, because of this, I can...
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By: Ian Garner, Manager WRAP Northern Ireland Posted: 29 Nov 2012
With less than a week to go until this year’s WRAP NI conference, my thoughts are firmly on finalising last minute details before we welcome delegates to Belfast’s MAC on 6th December. I‘m delighted that this conference has become a platform on which to share positive experiences and successes, to learn and network. This year we’ll be looking at key priorities for Northern Ireland and WRAP...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO WRAP Posted: 22 Nov 2012
In the 10 years that I have worked at WRAP, there has been no hotter potato than whether councils should operate weekly waste collections. The issue is political, social, environmental and economic involving politicians, councils, the media and the Great British public – you and me.WRAP has been wrongly accused of trying to force or bully local councils into dropping collections and cutting...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO WRAP Posted: 5 Nov 2012
This is the start of a big week for us, as one of the highlights of WRAP’s year is almost upon us – two of our annual conferences are taking place, both presenting a great opportunity to bring together our funders, key stakeholders and partners all under one roof.Taking place tomorrow, in London, our WRAP conference is a chance for us all to focus on the big-ticket items on the resource...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 25 Sep 2012
If you are a ‘devotee’ you might have followed last week’s London Fashion Week which was, of course, all about future clothing trends. But it’s not just the fashion industry that’s keen to spotlight what’s up-and-coming. WRAP is also focusing on future clothing trends - the trends of re-use, repair and recycle.
Now, as the weather is starting to feel distinctly autumnal, it’s time to put...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 20 Sep 2012
Our research tracking attitudes to food waste and recycling shows that the vast majority of us want to ‘do the right thing’ but want help to act.
There are obvious financial benefits to individuals, families, businesses and councils in making the most of recycling and re-use (as well as environmental advantages), and it’s true, there has been good progress. So much so that more than...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 6 Sep 2012
What have BBC presenter Alys Fowler, campaigner Peter Tatchell, organic veg box provider Abel & Cole and waste minister Lord Taylor got in common?
They’ve all made public pledges in support of Zero Waste Week, an annual event that’s the brain child of blogger and activist Rachelle Strauss.
The first Zero Waste Week was back in 2008, and this year, Rachelle has been encouraging others, through...
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By: Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP Posted: 11 Jul 2012
Between us, consumers in the UK have an astonishing £30 billion-worth of clothes lying unworn in wardrobes and drawers across the nation.
You might find that hard to believe, but that’s what our very latest research – launched today - has revealed. We found that the average household has around £4,000-worth of clothes, of which, almost a third hasn’t been worn for at least a year!
The report...
