Working with the Home Improvement sector
WRAP’s Retail programme is developing and implementing a Home Improvement and DIY sector initiative.
The aim is to increase resource efficiency, through optimising the environmental performance of packaging and reducing product damage.
Market Research company Verdict estimates the DIY and gardening market size to be £16.6 billion (2007 estimate), of which DIY is expected to account for £12.9 billion. As a result of both the sector’s size and the nature of products sold a significant amount of waste is created in both the household waste and commercial waste streams. This creates implications of additional costs, customer perception and environmental impact.
Following initial engagement with the Home Improvement sector, the following product categories are currently being considered:
- Decorative materials
- Flooring
- Bathrooms
- Kitchens
- Gardens
- Plumbing
- Lighting
- Building materials and hardware
- Tools and appliances
- Home delivery of bulky items (kitchens, bathrooms, furniture etc.)
Key areas of opportunity to increase resource efficiency
As a result of initial engagement, preliminary work has identified opportunities to:
- Reduce primary and single-use transit packaging
- Reduce product damage
- Increase recycled content in products and packaging
- Make it easier for consumers to recycle; and
- Identify cost benefits.
We would welcome your input and feedback.
Developing WRAP’s work with the DIY sector
WRAP is currently undertaking the following activities:
• Engagement with key retailers, trade associations, brands and supply chain to identify priorities, opportunities for collaboration and the potential for a sector agreement
• Establishing a baseline for the amount of packaging used and the level of product damage and developing benchmarking tools to inform the sector
• Developing design and specification guidance to optimise packaging and minimise damage
• Developing plans to improve resource efficiency for key product categories.
Work to date
WRAP has supported a number of activities to date in the home improvement sector. These include two trials of reusable transit packaging for the home delivery of bulky items prone to product damage; kitchen worktops with B&Q and sofas with Argos. The trials demonstrated the commercial and environmental benefits that can be realised through reusable transit packaging and identified the variables that needed effective management control to maximise cost-effectiveness.
