Business and finance: WRAP estimates that the recycling and recycled products industries will have to double in size by 2018 if the UK is to meet its EU landfill diversion targets. Key targets include attracting at least £10 million investment annually in reprocessing capacity, and contributing to four inward investment projects to increase recycling.
Recent initiatives include the establishment of a £5.5 million recycling fund and the launch of a new weekly pricing service for secondary materials.
Procurement: Although a tiny proportion of local government spending involves recycled materials (ENDS Report 351, pp 34-35 
), WRAP believes that promoting public sector initiatives will be like "pushing on a half-open door". It plans to influence major purchasers such as NHS Estates and MoD Estates, and wants all councils to set requirements for recycled content in one or more "key contract areas".
In the construction sector, it plans to increase procurement of materials or products with recycled content by £330 million.
Regional market development: Working with bodies such as the Remade organisations, WRAP will use its regional development fund to secure additional collection or recycling capacity to that targeted elsewhere in its plan.
Aggregates: As well as completing existing projects delayed by state aid issues, WRAP will initiate projects to recover recyclable aggregates from excavation waste with high soil content. With more sophisticated reprocessing, such material, which accounts for 70% of recycled and secondary aggregates, could be used in higher-value applications.
WRAP plans to deliver a three million tonne increase in reprocessing capacity by 2006, as well as a 10% increase in the use of recycled and secondary aggregates in non-fill applications.
Glass: Earlier targets for collection of container glass have been replaced with targets to increase the recycling of specialist glass from cars, electrical equipment and lighting, as well as flat glass. WRAP notes that collection of container glass remains a major challenge, and it will seek to ensure that new collection systems meet the needs of diverse end users.
Organics: The focus will be on developing higher-value end markets, such as horticulture, landscaping and agriculture, with an "initial" focus on green garden waste. Targets include training "up to 1,000" people in the composting industry, ensuring that an extra 300,000 tonnes per year processing capacity is operational, and promoting the collection of an additional 150,000 tonnes.
Paper: Following the major increase in recycled newsprint capacity at Shotton, the focus will switch to the printings and writings sector. The target to increase the use of recovered paper in this market has been carried over from the previous business plan and slightly scaled down. There are also targets to increase the use of recycled fibre in tissue products and to find new applications for paper sludge.
Plastics: A target to deliver plastic bottle sorting capacity, carried over from the previous business plan, has already been met. WRAP plans to ensure that an extra 11,000 tonnes of non-bottle plastics are recycled as a result of its work on R&D, commercialisation, retail packaging and standards. It is also aiming to increase the amount of recyclate in retail packaging - but has not set a quantitative target.
Wood: WRAP will continue to support diversification of wood recycling, focusing particularly on higher-value markets, while trying to increase consumption of waste wood by the panel board industry. It will also promote the segregation of wood for recycling at civic amenity sites, in furniture manufacturing and during construction and demolition. A key target is to deliver an extra 150,000 tonnes capacity.
Collection: A new advisory service for councils, known as "Rotate" - the recycling and organics technical advisory team - will be delivered to 200 local authorities in England, to advise on markets and the efficiency of collection systems.
Minimisation: The key target is to cut the rate of increase of household waste from 2% to 1%, "equivalent to a reduction of 745,000 tonnes". Of this, some 400,000 tonnes is to come from a home composting programme, with a further 300,000 tonnes from the retail sector. A waste minimisation innovation fund will support packaging and product designs that "minimise material and maximise recyclability".
In fact, the latest official statistics, released in April, show that growth in household waste is lower than some had feared - averaging only 1.4% per annum over the past three years (see p 15 ).
Communications: The "Rethink Rubbish" national campaign run by the National Waste Awareness Initiative will be replaced by a WRAP programme. Support will be offered for local awareness schemes and a series of issue-specific programmes. WRAP aims to generate at least a 10% increase in the public perception of recycling as a "must or should do" activity. It also intends to achieve "measurable and substantial increases" in participation in recycling. These targets will be set with each local authority during a grant allocation process, and are likely to range from 10% to 50%.
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