WRAP sets tough targets for new three-year business plan

Between 2008 and 2011 WRAP will develop and deliver programmes which:

• Result in 8 million tonnes less waste being sent to landfill
• Save 5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent
• Realise £1.1 billion of economic benefits. 

Underpinning these three targets, WRAP, now in its eighth year, has outlined four key areas of priority for delivery: collection systems, quality of materials being sent for recycling and being recycled, food waste and packaging.

Since WRAP started work in 2001, there is now an extra 5.8 million tonnes of recycling processing capacity in the UK, there has been £182 million of new investment in the recycling sector, and the annual turnover of the UK recycling sector has more than doubled to £1.3 billion.

WRAP has already made progress in its priority area of reducing food waste, meeting the interim target of reducing food waste by 100,000 tonnes by March 2008. WRAP research shows the number of UK households committed to reducing food waste has increased by 1.4 million to 3.5 million households since March 2007. The issue has been pushed up the public agenda since the launch of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign in November last year.

Speaking about the new business plan, Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP, said:

“In our new Business Plan we have set ourselves an incredibly tough challenge but one which we believe we are equal to meeting. Whilst we are making good progress in helping to reduce waste and recycle more, there is still an important job to do to make an impact on the environment and the economy.

 “WRAP will continue to strengthen and develop partnerships with stakeholders to help meet its Business Plan targets. WRAP is proud to play a unique role among delivery bodies in the area of waste and resource efficiency and we look forward to using our expertise to make a significant contribution in tackling climate change.”