WRAP Reports Back On Progress Made During 2004/5
22 July 2005
An Open Meeting was held in London this week by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) to launch its latest annual Achievements Report and provide a platform for the discussion of key recycling and resource efficiency issues affecting the UK.
Chaired by BBC news presenter Peter Sissons, the launch on Wednesday (20 June) highlighted WRAP’s major achievements during the last financial year (2004/5), including the delivery of 1.8 million tonnes of new recycling capacity and an estimated 22 per cent increase in the reprocessing of glass into higher value markets.
Speaking at the meeting, Jennie Price, Chief Executive of WRAP, said:
“We have made a number of technological breakthroughs this year, challenging the barriers and preconceptions about issues such as recycled plastic in food contact packaging.”
She described a successful WRAP project which has seen the development of a cost-effective process to produce food-contact approved recycled HDPE (high density polyethylene) from recovered plastic milk containers. A major international project with partners including the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, Dairy Crest UK, Nampak Plastics Ltd and the Food Standards Agency, the work is a highly innovative example of closed loop recycling in the plastics sector.
“Another key area where we have made progress in is the procurement of recycled products by the construction sector, a difficult sector to reach because of its size,” she added, “earlier this year we held a number of high level Reconstruct briefings for senior personnel in the industry which attracted 160 clients and specifiers responsible for £11 billion of construction procurement. These events have proved highly influential, with 75 per cent of attendees indicating that they are now interested in working with WRAP on setting recycled content requirements for their projects.
“All of these are significant breakthroughs which will bring us closer to meeting the EU Landfill Diversion targets for 2010.”
As well as launching the Achievements Report, which represents a mid-term look at the progress made by WRAP in delivering the work outlined in its Business Plan 2004/06, the Open Meeting also provided a platform for delegates, WRAP members and industry spokespeople to engage in a series of debates and discussions. These focused on key recycling issues such as waste minimisation, colour issues in glass recycling and the challenges involved in promoting sustainable procurement.
Speaking at the meeting, Jennie Price, Chief Executive of WRAP, said:
“We have made a number of technological breakthroughs this year, challenging the barriers and preconceptions about issues such as recycled plastic in food contact packaging.”
She described a successful WRAP project which has seen the development of a cost-effective process to produce food-contact approved recycled HDPE (high density polyethylene) from recovered plastic milk containers. A major international project with partners including the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, Dairy Crest UK, Nampak Plastics Ltd and the Food Standards Agency, the work is a highly innovative example of closed loop recycling in the plastics sector.
“Another key area where we have made progress in is the procurement of recycled products by the construction sector, a difficult sector to reach because of its size,” she added, “earlier this year we held a number of high level Reconstruct briefings for senior personnel in the industry which attracted 160 clients and specifiers responsible for £11 billion of construction procurement. These events have proved highly influential, with 75 per cent of attendees indicating that they are now interested in working with WRAP on setting recycled content requirements for their projects.
“All of these are significant breakthroughs which will bring us closer to meeting the EU Landfill Diversion targets for 2010.”
As well as launching the Achievements Report, which represents a mid-term look at the progress made by WRAP in delivering the work outlined in its Business Plan 2004/06, the Open Meeting also provided a platform for delegates, WRAP members and industry spokespeople to engage in a series of debates and discussions. These focused on key recycling issues such as waste minimisation, colour issues in glass recycling and the challenges involved in promoting sustainable procurement.
Documents
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Achievements Report 2004/2005
7518 kb
WRAP achievements from 2004 to 2005.
Editor's notes:
1. WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is a major UK programme established to promote resource efficiency. Its particular focus is on creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products and removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
2. A not-for-profit company in the private sector, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
3. WRAP is currently running fifteen programmes. Twelve are focused on market development, and comprise nine material streams (Paper, Plastics, Glass, Wood, Organics, Aggregates, Tyres, Plasterboard and Batteries) and three generic areas (Business & Finance, Procurement, and Regional Market Development). Three new programmes relate to the wider resource efficiency remit - Collections, Communications and Awareness, and Waste Minimisation.
2. A not-for-profit company in the private sector, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
3. WRAP is currently running fifteen programmes. Twelve are focused on market development, and comprise nine material streams (Paper, Plastics, Glass, Wood, Organics, Aggregates, Tyres, Plasterboard and Batteries) and three generic areas (Business & Finance, Procurement, and Regional Market Development). Three new programmes relate to the wider resource efficiency remit - Collections, Communications and Awareness, and Waste Minimisation.
Press Office
Media Relations Manager
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819928
press.office@wrap.org.uk
Media Relations Manager
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819928
press.office@wrap.org.uk
Press Office
Media Relations Officer, WRAP
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819695
press.office@wrap.org.uk
Media Relations Officer, WRAP
WRAP,
The Old Academy,
21 Horse Fair,
Banbury
OX16 0AH
Tel: 01295 819695
press.office@wrap.org.uk
