The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

The Waste and Resources Action Programme, or WRAP, is a British registered charity that works with businesses, individuals and communities to achieve a circular economy, by helping them reduce waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in an efficient way. WRAP's mission is to accelerate the move to a sustainable, resource-efficient economy by:

• Re-inventing how we design, produce and sell products
• Re-thinking how we use and consume products
• Re-defining what is possible through re-use and recycling

WRAP's work for people and planet

WRAP works on various focus areas that are crucial for tackling the climate crisis and giving the planet a sustainable future. Some of these focus areas are:

• Food and drink: WRAP aims to reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions from the food system, by working with governments, businesses and citizens to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which targets to halve per capita food waste by 2030. WRAP also leads the UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which helps businesses measure and report their food waste, and the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which helps consumers save money and reduce their environmental impact by wasting less food⁴.
• Plastic packaging: WRAP leads the UK Plastics Pact, which is a collaborative initiative that brings together businesses, governments and NGOs to transform the UK's plastic system and eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastic packaging by 2025. WRAP also works with other countries to develop and implement similar pacts, as part of the global network of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
• Textiles: WRAP works with the textile industry to reduce the environmental impact of clothing and textiles, by promoting circular design, sustainable consumption and textile recycling. WRAP leads the Textiles 2030 initiative, which is a voluntary agreement that aims to cut the carbon footprint of UK clothing and home fabrics by 50% by 2030. WRAP also runs the Love Your Clothes campaign, which helps consumers make their clothes last longer and reduce textile waste.
• Collections and recycling: WRAP works with local authorities, waste management companies and reprocessors to improve the quality and quantity of recycling in the UK, by providing guidance, best practice and funding. WRAP also supports the development and implementation of consistent collections, which is a government policy that aims to standardise the materials collected for recycling across England.

WRAP's impact and recognition

WRAP has been working since 2000 to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency and reduce waste. Some of the achievements and recognition that WRAP has received are:

• WRAP has helped avoid over 75 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to taking 20 million cars off the road for a year.
• WRAP has helped save over 90 million tonnes of material resources, equivalent to filling Wembley Stadium 11 times.
• WRAP has helped save over £6 billion for UK businesses and consumers, equivalent to the annual GDP of Luxembourg.
• WRAP has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2010 and 2015, the highest accolade for business success in the UK.
• WRAP has been recognised as one of the world's most influential NGOs by the NGO Advisor, ranking 28th in 2020.