WRAP is calling on industry to help develop a UK sector reuse standard as part of its 2011-15 business plan. It is hoped that the standard and accompanying guidance will help develop the UK’s reuse sector and enable producers to demonstrate quality assured items whilst reassuring those purchasing re-use items that they adhere to a set of defined quality specifications.

Tenders will be accepted from individual companies or consortiums that are interested in helping to define these specifications and associated guidance for implementation. Specifically, WRAP has said that it is looking for ‘for bids which demonstrate and evidence why their particular solution will encourage and enable the most take-up by the reuse sector’ and states that all programmes must start in October 2012 and end in March 2014. 

Tender submission should include: 

• An executive summary no longer than one side of A4 in length;
• Company/Organisation details including registered office name, address, VAT and company/charity number;
• A description of working methods stating how work will be delivered and estimated timescales for delivery;
• A description of the project team who will manage and deliver the work;
• Identification of any sub-contractors to be used;
• Total cost of the work (inclusive of VAT);
• Identification of any conflicts of interest;
• A copy of the Environmental Policy;
• Audited or management accounts for the last 2 financial years;
• A statement of any material litigation, pending or threatened, or other
• legal proceedings;
• Evidence of the level of professional indemnity, public liability and property;
• damage insurance cover held, which must cover minimum levels of £1 million professional indemnity; £2 million public liability; and £2 million property damage. 

Tenders submitted should be under 50 pages long.

The development of a reuse standard is one of several actions WRAP is taking to encourage waste prevention through reuse, after releasing a report yesterday (16 August) that found that over half of bulky waste sent to household waste recycling centres could be reused with slight, or no repair.

Richard Featherstone, Development Manager at London Re-use Limited welcomed WRAP’s standard and report, telling Resource: “We know from experience that consumers can obtain good value for money from a high quality re-use product against a low quality new. A fully recognised standard should be designed to enable consumers to make an informed purchasing choice.” 

“WRAP’s research findings [found] that 40% of bulky items collected at the kerbside could be re-used. At the London Re-use Network this comes as no surprise to us because we hear from householders all the time that their bulky items are too good to throw away…. The re-use sector is the enabler of a pass-it-on culture which we want to continuously grow. However the more we collect means the more we have to distribute, thus the link to the standards and consumer confidence is key.” 

The closing date for entries to the standard is 7 September and applicants will receive written notification of WRAP’s decision by 19 September. 

Applications of interest should be made through WRAP’s website.