The not-for-profit company, funded by government, was originally set up to develop new markets for paper, glass, plastics and wood. Now it will take on a much broader role including public awareness campaigns and close work with local authorities on waste minimisation measures such as home composting and nappy laundry services.
Ray Georgeson, WRAP policy director, said the organisation was very pleased that the government had made the commitment to the extension of its programme of activities.
Programmes
WRAP will start work this summer on an initial (2003/4) 16.5 million set of new programmes (with 2 million still to be allocated):
- Reducing waste at home. Features include a big increase in home composting (providing 250,000 extra homes with a compost bin this year), reducing nappy waste by helping business start-ups in nappy washing services, working with the big retailers to reduce supermarket waste and a waste minimisation innovation research fund to help with this. In 2003/4, funding of around 8 million is allocated to this work.
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Recycling and composting more, by setting up an advisory service to help councils make their recycling schemes more effective, and providing support for the composting industry to expand to absorb the extra material collected. In 2003/4, funding of around 3.5 million is allocated to this work.
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Engaging the public by raising awareness of the need to reduce waste and recycle more, particularly by helping councils to get the most out of their collection schemes by promoting them effectively. In 2003/4, funding of around 3 million is allocated to this work.
WRAP’s Chairman, Vic Cocker said: “We are delighted that the Government has demonstrated its commitment to recycling by recommending the continuation of our core activity to create markets for recycled resources. This remains at the heart of WRAP and underpins all our work. The new responsibilities given to us for waste minimisation, recycling best practice and awareness will mean WRAP takes a three-pronged approach to the problem – minimising waste must go alongside increasing recycling and composting, and creating markets for materials collected if we are to achieve the challenging targets set to reduce landfill.”
Mr Georgeson said that as a result of the new work WRAP, which is based in Banbury, would be opening a new office in the town. “There will be quite a heavy programme of recruitment starting soon. We will be recruiting a director of waste minimisation, a director of collection programmes and a director of communications and awareness.”
Gritty
And, he promised that WRAP's work would not be delayed by extensive periods of consultation. “We will talk to stakeholders but there has already been consultation over the Strategy Unit's proposals. We are a gritty determined business and we are very conscious that a lot of people have a lot of interest in waste and resources and that there are many different views about the different ways to approach things.”
The involvement of WRAP in public awareness work is likely to end the work of the existing National Waste Awareness Initiative and could spell the end for the “Rethink Rubbish” promotion. Bob Lisney, chair of the NWAI, said he was sad to see its work come to an end but had high hopes that the work by WRAP would increase public awareness of waste issues on a national level.
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