Funded by the Welsh Government, WRAP Cymru’s Market Development Programme is in place to increase the supply of, and demand for, products containing recycled content in Wales. This is vital to the achievement of a circular economy.
To increase the supply of products containing recycled content, we are taking a twofold approach via supply chain projects and the delivery of a £6.5million Circular Economy Fund – a Welsh Government initiative for organisations in Wales.
(To find out how we are increasing demand for products containing recycled content, please visit our Public Sector Procurement Support page.)
Supply Chain Projects
We are working in collaboration with more than 20 partner organisations to deliver four supply chain projects. These will showcase how barriers to increasing recyclate – particularly plastic – in Welsh manufacturing can be overcome. We are seeking to address both commercial and technical issues, whilst highlighting economic viability and environmental benefits.
It is estimated that on average, plastic packaging manufactured in Wales contains over 30% recycled content. However, this drops to just 10-14% within all other (non-packaging) plastic products manufactured in Wales. Therefore, one of our key objectives is to provide the sector with evidence that will increase their confidence and ability to use recycled materials in their products.
For more information, please visit our Supply Chain Projects page.
Circular Economy Fund
We are also delivering a £6.5million Circular Economy Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government. It is designed to support manufacturers in Wales that are seeking funding for capital investment to increase their use of recycled material. As with our demonstration projects, the priority material is recycled plastic; however, businesses using recycled paper, card or textiles may also be eligible.
In response to COVID-19, the scope of the Circular Economy Fund has been widened to also support preparation for re-use, refurbishment and re-manufacturing activities in Wales, which extend the useful life-time of products.
Organisations of any size may either apply for a ‘Small Scale’ grant or a ‘Large Scale’ grant.
For full details, please visit our Circular Economy Fund page.
Circular Materials Map of Wales
In addition to WRAP Cymru’s aforementioned work to increase the supply of products containing recycled content, we have developed a Circular Materials Map of Wales to support greater collaboration across the Welsh plastics and paper sectors.
Free and easy to use, it provides an interactive, visual representation of the extent of the sector by plotting plastics and paper manufacturers, reprocessors and waste sites by location, helping to identify where there are clusters. Users can search for companies by type, local authority or by company name. Users can also explore the tonnage and type of material handled at each site as well as the permit type.
To access the tool, please visit our Circular Materials Map of Wales page.
