WRAP | Household Food Waste Communications Guidance and Templates

Development of an interactive guide for local authorities, with planning and design templates to support the introduction of separate food waste collections.

Planning | Copywriting and content creation | Design and templates

Project overview

Under the Environment Act 2021 and the Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms, local authorities in England are required to offer all households a separate weekly food waste collection by 31 March 2026.

To help councils meet this challenge, WRAP commissioned us to create practical and user-friendly communications guidance. This included reviewing and refreshing existing Recycle Now artwork templates and developing new assets specifically tailored to the various food waste collection service options.

Project aim

To design and develop an interactive guide that provides a step-by-step approach for local authorities to plan and deliver successful communications campaigns for the introduction of new food waste collections.

Interactive PDF including downloadable templates for food waste service change scenarios

Our role

  • Reviewed existing templates to identify how they could be redeveloped and adapted for new food waste service options

  • Provided planning guidance, creating new editable Word and Excel templates to support communications planning

  • Developed example content, including website copy, FAQs, social media posts and PR materials

  • Created new, free-to-use editable templates for local authorities to use across all service change scenarios, including letters, leaflets, stickers and liner artwork, web banners and social media assets, vehicle livery and thank you notices

Social media content created to boost engagement and encourage positive behaviour change

Outcomes

  • Delivered an interactive guidance document with clear steps for communications planning

  • Created separate food waste collection templates for kerbside, flats and communal properties and transitions from mixed food and garden collections

  • Enabled local authorities to launch new food waste services quickly, using ready-made materials

  • Helped maximise efficiencies and support the normalisation of food waste recycling behaviours

  • Supported progress towards Net Zero by reducing emissions and promoting renewable energy from biogas

  • All templates are freely available via the WRAP website

  • “They turned a complex project into clear, practical guidance. The templates and insight into local authority needs have really supported councils with food waste communications.”

    - Sally Wilson

    Local Authority Technical Consultant, WRAP