WRAP announces first donors for Recycle Week 2021

WRAP has announced the names of the first corporate donors for its 18th annual Recycle Week, to be held from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 September 2021.

Co-op, Coca-Cola Great Britain, Danone, Ocado and Waitrose have all confirmed their involvement in the annual campaign which will be aimed at inspiring more recycling, both more widely and more frequently.

The theme of the week is expected to be announced closer to the start of the event.

WRAP will be hoping this year's event can build upon the success of last years, which is said to have had the best social media engagement of previous editions, with an estimated reach of 185 million through public relations and media relations activities.

Last year's Recycling Week was the first time WRAP sought commercial funding for the campaign and saw fifteen donors support the project, which WRAP says allowed them to increase the scope and raise the profile of the week.

The charity has announced they are looking for more corporate support for Recycle Week 2021 and is interested to hear from any brands or businesses that would like to get involved.

WRAP CEO Marcus Gover commented: “We know that Recycle Week is something the public are extremely passionate about and saw a huge response to Food Waste Action Week too.

“It’s clear the public wants action on the environment and is keen to be part of the change needed – and that’s what Recycle Week is all about.

“Last year we had our most successful Recycle Week ever, despite the pandemic, and due in no small part to the overwhelming support of our donors.

“We know that as much as 44 per cent of people say they would be more likely to purchase or shop with a brand that supports Recycle Week, so this year I want to go even further, and for that we need even more UK businesses and brands to get on board.”

Alongside the first details of Recycle Week 2021, WRAP also released the results of its latest citizen survey of UK recycling habits and behaviours.

The survey, conducted in October 2020, found that self-reported recycling has increased, with 89 per cent of respondents saying they regularly recycle (up from 87 per cent in March 2020) and 56 per cent stating that they are recycling more in the past year.

The survey also highlighted that there is a pressing need to better guide citizens’ recycling efforts to minimise contamination.

Results show that 80 per cent of UK households put items in their recycling bins that are not collected locally, with 44 per cent of respondents stating they are not satisfied with the clarity of information about what they can and cannot recycle in their kerbside collection.

To combat this, WRAP has called on its partners to provide clear instructional information on what can and cannot be recycled locally and to work towards a common set of dry recyclables and food waste.