Wrap has launched a new partnership with social enterprise Behaviour Change to try to align the industry’s battle against food waste more closely with emissions caused by household waste.
Wrap said that despite the world’s attention being on COP26 last year, there was too little focus on the impact of individual consumption.
It said the new partnership would use behavioural insights and strategies, piloting and testing interventions to ensure government, businesses and charities were working more closely together to tackle climate change.
Wrap said 45% of UK emissions arose from the products we used and how we used them – with behavioural change a vital part of reaching net zero.
The partnership is aimed at making environmental messaging more effective by engaging directly with the public through the likes of Love Food Hate Waste, Recycle Now, Love Your Clothes and Clear on Plastics.
It will also support environmental commitments made by organisations and governments, including Courtauld 2030 and the UK Plastics Pact.
“The world is in the middle of a climate emergency,” said Wrap CEO Marcus Gover.
“We have the perfect storm of a growing global population consuming more resources and putting greater pressure on nature.
“With nearly half of all UK emissions associated with the products we use, we must change public behaviour about how we shop, eat, dress and dispose of things. If we don’t, we won’t begin to address climate change and will significantly undermine our ability to cut emissions.
“Changing behaviour at scale can generate huge benefits and together Behaviour Change and Wrap will drive forward change through the businesses and governments we work with – here and around the world – and through our work with the public.”
Behaviour Change executive director David Hall added: “Behavioural science has come a long way since we set up Behaviour Change in 2009, with more and more organisations now recognising that human behaviour lies at the heart of the challenges they face.
“We are focused on learning about what really works to change behaviour for the better and then scaling it up. Working hand in hand with Wrap will enable us to do this in bigger, more effective ways that start to answer the huge sustainability challenges that both organisations exist to tackle. This new partnership is all about impact and we are excited about the new possibilities it will bring.”
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