Three in four English households are unaware that universal weekly food waste collections are due to begin on 31 March under the Simpler Recycling regulations, according to WRAP’s UK Household Food Management Survey 2025.

The survey of 5,509 UK adults, conducted by Icaro between 30 June and 14 July 2025, found that just 24 per cent of respondents in England knew about the upcoming requirement. Awareness was slightly higher among younger adults aged 18-34 (34 per cent) and households with children (31 per cent), but the figure drops to 16 per cent among over-55s.

The findings are published today (9 Mar) to coincide with the start of Food Waste Action Week, WRAP’s annual public-facing campaign. This year’s theme is “Make Your Food Go Fuuuuuuuurther,” but the survey paints a more sobering picture for the sector. Self-reported waste of four key products — bread, milk, chicken and potatoes — fell slightly from 21 per cent to 18.8 per cent over the past year. That is down on 2024, but still above every other year since WRAP began tracking in 2018.

“As the cost of living continues to bite, we know that people care about the money they spend on food. But too often, the link between food waste and money lost isn’t being made,” said Catherine David, CEO at WRAP. The organisation estimates that UK households waste 4.4 million tonnes of edible food annually, costing £17 billion in total or roughly £1,000 per year for a household of four.

Collections as a prevention tool, or a safety net?

Among the 11 per cent of respondents who reported getting food waste collections in the previous year, 63 per cent said the new service had made them to try harder to reduce what they throw away. Yet 44 per cent of all respondents with food waste collections said they felt more relaxed about wasting food, knowing it could be recycled rather than sent to landfill.

WRAP’s own analysis warns that collections risk becoming a disposal convenience rather than a prevention prompt and it recommends that local authorities pair collection rollouts with sustained reduction messaging.

Nationally, 42 per cent of respondents said they have and use a food waste collection service. A further 14 per cent have access but reported not using it, 38 per cent have no service, and six per cent are unsure. Non-use is higher among households in Scotland (22 per cent), those who frequently eat out or get takeaways (21 per cent), and, notably, among respondents classified as high food wasters (19 per cent).

Usage rates vary considerably by nation. Wales reports the highest participation at 81 per cent of those with access, followed by Northern Ireland at 67 per cent. England and Scotland lag behind.

The Simpler Recycling rollout, backed by £295 million in government funding for local authorities, requires all councils in England to provide weekly separate food waste collections from 31 March 2026. Larger businesses have been subject to similar requirements since March 2025, with full business compliance expected by March 2027.

Waste normalisation and the perception gap

The survey also identifies a shift in attitudes to food waste. The proportion of respondents comfortable with not using all the food they buy rose from 11 per cent in 2024 to 18 per cent in 2025. WRAP describes this as a normalisation trend, where food waste is increasingly accepted as routine rather than something to avoid.

The survey also found a notable perception gap. Four in five respondents believe they waste less food than the average household - a figure that rises to 85 per cent after respondents are shown an image representing the average household’s waste. At the same time, 64 per cent consider some food waste to be inevitable.

Food waste ranks fifth among consumer food concerns in the survey, behind food prices, diet healthiness, animal welfare, and processed foods or pesticides. WRAP’s data suggests that cost-of-living pressures, while encouraging more careful purchasing among some households, have not translated into a broad reduction in waste. Self-reported waste is actually higher among financially struggling households (21 per cent) than among those managing comfortably (16 per cent).

The survey recommends that the sector target high-waste demographics rather than broadcasting generic messaging, frame prevention around household budgets rather than environmental outcomes, and treat the collection rollout as an opportunity to engage households on source reduction. WRAP warns that without continued investment in prevention communications, the food management improvements gained during the inflationary period may not persist.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said the government’s 2030 target requires England to halve residual household food waste per person. “With the rollout of weekly food waste collections across England this month, and continued investment in awareness campaigns, we are giving people the tools they need,” she said.

Campaign recall remains low. Only 44 per cent of respondents recalled seeing any food waste information in the previous year, and awareness of Love Food Hate Waste is stable at 33 per cent. Recognition of the snowflake logo for freezing suitability is high at 89 per cent, while the fridge temperature logo reached its highest-ever recognition at 34 per cent.

Food Waste Action Week runs from 9-15 March 2026 and is supported by a day-by-day campaign structure targeting specific waste behaviours. WRAP has made campaign toolkits available to local authorities and industry partners.