WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) was established in 2001 in response to the UK Government's Waste Strategy 2000 to promote sustainable waste management.

WRAP gained additional responsibilities in 2003 as a result of the Government’s response to the review of waste policy undertaken last year by the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit (Waste Not, Want Not, a Strategy for Tackling the Waste Problem in England). WRAP is set up as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee by DEFRA, the DTI, and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

WRAP’s initial programmes of work concentrate on:

• creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products for the 100 million tonnes of waste accounted for by commercial, industrial and municipal waste (this includes waste from houses, offices and factories)
  
• specific work in five material streams: aggregates, glass, organics, paper, plastics, and wood, supported by work in three generic areas: financial mechanisms, procurement, and standards.

WRAP’s newly added programme areas focus on:

• reducing waste at home, by working towards increasing home composting, reducing nappy waste, working with the big retailers to reduce supermarket waste and creating a waste minimisation innovation research fund to help with this
  
  
• 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
  
  
• 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

WRAP's 2001-2004 work programme is described in its Business Plan (2001-2004) which was established as a result of stakeholder participation. WRAP’s new programme areas and continued development of the original eight programme areas will be described in WRAP’s Revised Business Plan (2003-2006), to be published soon.

Key documents and details about WRAP are available here:

WRAP's Business Plan (2001-2004) (PDF)
WRAP's Business Plan (2001-2004) (ZIP)
WRAP’s Revised Business Plan (2003-2006) – to be published soon
Stakeholder Updates show WRAP’s progress
Organisation Chart shows WRAP’s current staff configuration
Address: The Old Academy, 21 Horse Fair, Banbury, Oxon., OX16 0AH
Telephone: 0808 100 2040
Facsimile: +44 (0) 1295 819911
Email: helpline@wrap.org.uk
Location map from multiMAP
Travel information if visiting WRAP offices