Waste management and reprocessors

Leading the way in waste management and reprocessing

We are working with the waste management industry, retailers and businesses, local authorities and governments to help householders across the UK benefit from improved recycling collections, innovation in resource re-use and an overall reduction in waste. 

WRAP's vision of a world in which resources are used sustainably is central to this work.

Organisations working in the re-use and recycling sector can realise economic and environmental benefits from taking action to increase recycling rates and improve the consistency of local recycling and food waste services.

By working collaboratively to unlock these benefits, organisations working in the sector can also contribute to the delivery of national targets for waste recycling - fulfilling our UK and international responsibilities to the environment.

The opportunity

Potential increase of £430m in revenue from sales of recovered materials

Potential reduction of 4.5mt CO2 (eq) in greenhouse gas emissions

Potential savings of £30m to reprocessors and the recycling industry from lower contamination achieved through greater consistency

* benefits estimated by WRAP for the period from 2017 - 2025

What is WRAP doing?

Collections and recycling

Improving collections and recycling

We are currently working on a variety of initiatives to make household waste services and communications more effective and improve the quantity and quality of materials collected for recycling.

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Local authorities

Supporting local authorities

We provide free and impartial guidance and support on topics such as: performance benchmarking; modelling and appraising future collection options; procurement of collection services; service design, and communications to support service change or improve quality or capture.

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Waste management and reprocessors

Plastic packaging initiatives

Find out what your organisation can do to tackle the issue of waste: buying reprocessed materials; improving packaging quality; and joining the UK Plastics Pact.

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Initiatives

Explore our guidance on re-use and recycling in the clothing and textile sector

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Key resources for waste manufacturers and reprocessors

  • Creating a circular economy for flexible plastic packaging

  • The Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) Sorting Guide

  • Biffa Polymers Mixed Plastics Recycling Facility

  • Paper & Card Flow 2020

  • Materials Facility (MF) Reporting Portal

  • Recycling Guidelines

    Recycling Guidelines

  • Recyclability of black plastics: An overview

    The Black Plastics Hub

  • Textiles Market Situation report 2016

  • Fibre to Fibre Recycling: An economic & financial sustainability assessment

  • Design guidance for recyclability of household rigid plastic packaging

  • Plastics Market Situation report 2019

  • Paper Market Situation report 2020

  • PlasticFlow 2025 - Plastic packaging flow data report