But, according to the second environment report of the Waste and Resources Action Programme, the six-year-old organisation is working to minimise the environmental impact from this growth.
– Jennie Price, WRAP
Leading the government's national recycling campaign and market development programme, WRAP is putting into practice what it preaches by developing a new environmental management system.
It has also taken up a series of targets to clamp down on the waste of materials and resources.
WRAP has signed up to London Mayor's Green Procurement Code, and has developed guidance on sustainability for its staff. The organisation also has plans in place to minimise its use of energy, water and private road transport.
Paper
One of the targets WRAP has in its sights is to cut the 1,900 reams of office paper the organisation gets through each year, the equivalent of 11 per employee. Although the paper it uses is 100% recycled, WRAP has set a target to cut its usage by 5% in 2005/06.
Chief executive Jennie Price said WRAP had delivered an additional 1.8 million tonnes of recycling capacity across the aggregates, organics and wood sectors as well as raising public participation in recycling from 45% to 50%.
But, she said WRAP had a duty to ensure the process of delivering its recycling work came at a minimal environmental risk.
Mrs Price said: “We have expanded significantly as an organisation and, predictably, the impacts of our day-to-day activities and those associated with our business support, finance and funding activities have also grown.”
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She went on: “Under the umbrella of our emerging EMS, 2004/05 has seen the improvements both to the procedures we apply to reduce the risk of significant impacts and in some of the areas where a direct environmental impact results from our day-to-day activities.”
The WRAP chief executive identified travel as one particular area of improvement, with the organisation's use of single-occupancy car commuting falling from 70% to 61%.
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