We can all live out our best low waste lives at home but what can we do as employees to reduce the plastic footprint of our work lives? Here are some handy tips we have compiled to cut down on single use plastic at work this July.
1. Conduct a bin audit - Taking stock of the plastic waste you and your collegues produce is the first step in creating a plan to combat and create effective solutions to refuse, reuse or repurpose plastic waste. Implementing small low waste habits into your workplace can also save the company money for example using plastic bags as bin liners, negates the need for extra plastic.
2. Sort your plastics - Once you have identified your plastics, put a system in place to help collegues to recycle as much as possible. For example, Introducing an extra bin or two, i.e. introduce a soft plastics bin to your office (if you do not have one already). Although recycling alone cannot combat the plastic problem, it is necessary that we do what is possible to divert plastic waste from landfill.
3. Choose to reuse - Compile a list of single use items that get thrown away every day, remind yourself and your collegues to bring resuable alternatives. For instance, reusable water bottle, coffee cup, cutlery, hankerchiefs. Print out a poster and hang in social spaces around the office. Download our 'Choose to reuse' poster template via the link below to help remind and challenge yourselves this month.
3. Get people onboard- Engaging collegues to make small changes can be challenging, this is where we can come in! We offer variety environmentally-concious corporate workshops providing ample opportunities for constructive discussion towards sustainable lifestyle changes, whilst teaching resilience through learning of new skills. Sharing how sustainable living is possible even in our busy lives through practical learning and a little bit of creativity. Take a little look at what we offer on through our website.
4. Review your procurement practices- Are your office supplies generating unnecessary plastic waste? Its worth having a look at the requirements when acquiring resources for your workplace. Plastic free july campaign highlights a few useful amendments that could be made:
Do we really need to procure this single-use plastic item?
Can it be procured without single-use plastic packaging?
Can the same item be made from recycled content, thus closing the loop?
Can packaging be reduced by buying in bulk?
5. Share Ideas-
Creating an working environment that is less wasteful involves your fellow employees. Ask others for their insights through non-judgemental discussion or creative brainstorming sessions on how plastic use may be reduced within your working envoronment. For example starting a discussion on the possiblilty of adding value to plastic waste rather than determining it for disposal and what difference this can make to worklife.
6. Share more-
The share economy is about connecting people to lend and borrow their stuff, so much plastic waste is produced by overconsuming. You can encourge this in your workplace, i.e setting up a whatsapp where people may offer or ask items needed for one-off jobs. Friends of the earth suggests hosting a plastic free lunch where everyone brings something along to share. Or why not form a food coop and share the cost of bulk bought items? This can help save money and the further generation plastic packaging waste.
Happy plastic free July x