WRAP launches new drive to promote circular living in the USA and across the Americas

In a significant move to tackle the impact that businesses and people have on the environment through unsustainable production, consumption and waste, climate action NGO WRAP has opened a key office in Washington, DC. The new office, led by Executive Director Leah Karrer, will coordinate action on food waste, plastic pollution, and textile waste right across South, Central and North America – from the foot of Chile to the top of Canada.

Leah Karrer, Executive Director of WRAP in the Americas, said “I am thrilled to scale-up WRAP’s work here in the Americas to create a future that is circular. We are launching with a bang – food waste, plastic pollution, and textiles are all under the spotlight – we’ll be changing the key things we consume in our daily lives to a more sustainable model of circular living!”

“Our presence gives us a base from which to scale initiatives in USA, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Mexico working closely with partners to deliver lasting, measurable change towards a sustainable future.” 

The announcement was made at the official opening of the new WRAP in the Americas office, held at the British Embassy in Washington DC yesterday – Thursday 11 April.

Harriet Lamb, CEO WRAP, “WRAP has worked globally for over 20 years and today we are stepping up our determination to tackle the climate crisis. Nearly half of global emissions can only be tackled by changing the way we make and consume food and products. That’s why in the Americas we are focusing on tackling waste in clothing and food, plastics pollution and promoting circular living. We will be launching a public campaign to tackle food waste and in a major milestone, we are developing new standards for circular products – so watch this space.”

WRAP in the Americas, based in Washington, will coordinate programmes with partners to address a range of initiatives. Following the blueprint for how WRAP addresses environmental issues linked to consumption - which account for nearly half (45%) of all global emissions - the team will focus on both citizen-facing campaigns and changing business operations towards more sustainable models.

The Americas office is already working with partners in Brazil to prepare for the launch of the country’s very first nationwide food waste voluntary agreement, similar to the model WRAP helped establish in Mexico and the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment. It will continue to work with partners in Canada to deliver behaviour change initiatives to tackle food waste, and across plastics in Canada as well as the USA, Chile, Colombia and Mexico in the series of Plastics Pacts that have been established in each country, with support from WRAP.

WRAP will be publishing a report on the impact of these Plastics Pacts across the world in the run-up to the next round of talks on a Global Plastics Treaty. In collaboration with the Ellen McArthur Foundation, this will outline the impact these voluntary agreements are having in each nation and the case for an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty.

Laura Reyes, Executive Director at Cempre Colombia, "WRAP has played a key role in the implementation of the Colombian Plastics Pact. I am delighted to see WRAP's growth in the Americas. I am confident that this increased presence will further strengthen the circularity of plastics, inspiring more organisations and initiatives to come together to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics.”

WRAP’s work in the Americas has been made possible with the support of a number of key US funding institutions including The Posner Foundation and the Ballmer Group as well as UKRI.

The opening of WRAP in the Americas also marks the first steps in developing key new standards for circular products, which WRAP is working on with partners and companies, due to release later in 2024.

With offices in the UK,  Australia and now the  USA, WRAP works globally with governments, businesses, and communities to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency within the food system, plastics and in textiles. It works with in-country partners to develop programmes that fully address the needs of the local area and currently has programmes operating in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the UK and Europe.

Gabriella Rosato National Manager for Strategic Alliances BAMX said, “It's a great honor for The Mexican Food Banking Network (Red BAMX) to collaborate with WRAP in tackling food loss and waste, ensuring surplus food could reaches those in need, and we want to congratulate WRAP on its new offices in Washington DC for WRAP Americas. Our years of collaboration and involvement in WRAP's voluntary agreements, such as the launch of the initiative "Pacto por la Comida”, highlight our commitment to address food insecurity from an environmental perspective. Additionally, our partnership extends to changing people's behaviors regarding food waste in Mexico, thanks to several projects funded by the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh and the technical support of WRAP. All these projects had led to actions that were previously unexplored, and we're proud to be leading such initiatives in Latin America, together with WRAP.”

Dr. Carla Calderón Rosas, Fundación Chile said, “Since we joined the Plastic Pact Network in 2019, the technical support provided by WRAP has been fundamental in our journey to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics. Additionally, it has allowed us to incorporate international expertise into our work and strengthen our technical capacities. The opportunity to be constantly connected with the WRAP team, and through them, with other Pacts worldwide, has been tremendously enriching, allowing us to exchange knowledge and experiences, fostering collaboration, and promoting the adoption of sustainable practices and strategies in the industry and society as a whole.”

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