Ethan Clarke
Plastic waste is a major source of environmental pollution, with an estimated 390 million tons of plastic waste produced every year. The impact of plastic on the environment is huge, and it is a major contributor to climate change. While it may be impossible to completely eliminate plastic use, there are many ways for corporations to reduce their plastic footprint. This paragraph will discuss some of the ways in which corporations can reduce their plastic consumption and improve their environmental impact.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reduce the usage of plastic | Switch to more sustainable and environmentally friendly materials |
| Avoid greenwashing | Implement positive environmental policies |
| Understand plastic usage | Compile information from different departments and conduct plastic audits |
| Comply with legislation | Stay ahead of any legislative changes implemented by governments |
| Reduce single-use plastic | Remove single-use cups, cutlery, straws, and plastic bags |
| Improve recycling practices | Implement centralized soft plastic recycling points and encourage the use of recycled materials |
| Encourage reusable items | Provide incentives for staff to use reusable water bottles, containers, and bags |
| Alternative suppliers | Switch to suppliers that offer plastic-free alternatives |
| Educate and engage employees | Raise awareness about plastic reduction and provide training |
| Collaborate with experts | Partner with organizations specializing in plastic reduction and sustainability |
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What You'll Learn
Reduce single-use plastics
Reducing single-use plastics is a key part of any corporation's environmental strategy. The first step is to understand the company's plastic usage. This will likely involve multiple departments and may be facilitated by assigning a specific team or individual with expertise in this area. A plastic audit can also be a useful tool to understand the impact of plastic on the business.
Once a clear picture of plastic usage has been established, the next step is to identify areas where plastic can be reduced. Take-out food packaging is a major source of single-use plastic pollution, with a significant proportion of marine litter attributed to this source. Corporations can encourage the use of reusable alternatives by providing discounts to customers who bring their own cups or containers, for example.
Corporations can also make changes to their own operations, such as providing reusable dining kits to staff, including items such as a coffee mug, a to-go cup, utensils, and a food storage container. They can also replace single-use plastic bags with biodegradable alternatives and ensure that all contracts with suppliers include a requirement to reduce plastic usage.
It is also important to stay ahead of any legislative changes. Governments are actively introducing laws to reduce single-use plastic, and corporations should ensure they are compliant with any new regulations. For example, the Biden-Harris administration in the US has released a strategy to reduce plastic pollution, including a goal to phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics by 2027.
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Improve recycling practices
While recycling is an important part of reducing plastic waste, it is not enough to solve the plastics crisis. However, there are several ways in which corporations can improve their recycling practices to reduce their plastic footprint.
Firstly, corporations should understand their exposure to plastic use. This may involve different departments working together to compile information on plastic usage. A plastic audit can also be arranged to understand the true impact of plastic on the business. Once corporations have this information, they can set targets for reducing plastic waste and increasing recycling rates. For example, Evian has pledged to only produce bottles that are 100% recycled by 2025. Similarly, Costa Coffee has set a target of recycling half a billion cups by 2020, the equivalent of its annual sales in the UK.
Corporations should also ensure that they are compliant with any legislative changes implemented by governments. This may involve staying up to date with any new laws or regulations regarding plastic usage and waste and ensuring that their business operations are in line with these.
Another way to improve recycling practices is to encourage staff to reduce their use of single-use plastics. This could involve providing incentives, such as entry into a monthly prize draw, for staff who bring reusable water bottles or wrap their lunches in reusable containers. Corporations could also invest in water coolers and ask staff to bring their own bottles to fill up throughout the day.
In addition, corporations should consider the recycling infrastructure available to their staff. For example, providing separate recycling bins for different types of waste, such as paper and plastic, can make it easier for staff to recycle correctly. Corporations could also arrange for volunteers to take single-use plastics to centralised soft plastic recycling points.
Finally, corporations can purchase products made from recycled plastic materials. This will help to support the recycling industry and reduce the demand for new plastic products.
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Encourage reusable alternatives
Corporations can play a significant role in encouraging the use of reusable alternatives to reduce plastic waste. Here are some ways to achieve this:
Incentivize employees and customers
Corporations can incentivize their employees to bring their reusable water bottles by installing water coolers in the workplace. Additionally, they can offer incentives like monthly prize draws for employees who post photos of their efforts to reduce plastic waste on social media. For customers, corporations can offer discounts on products when they bring their reusable containers or bags.
Replace single-use plastics with reusable alternatives
Corporations can replace single-use plastics in their operations with reusable alternatives. For example, providing ceramic mugs and plastic-free tea bags in staff kitchens, and replacing plastic bags with biodegradable ones. Corporations can also remove single-use cups and cutlery and provide reusable or recyclable options instead.
Encourage suppliers to offer plastic-free alternatives
Corporations should communicate with their suppliers about their commitment to reducing plastic waste. They can request suppliers to provide alternatives to plastic packaging and source products made from recycled plastic materials. If suppliers are unable to meet these requirements, corporations should consider switching to suppliers who can provide plastic-free alternatives.
Implement effective recycling practices
Corporations can implement recycling practices by providing separate bins for different types of waste, including plastic. They can also arrange for volunteers to take recyclable plastic waste to centralized soft plastic recycling points or local recycling centers. Additionally, corporations can ensure that their recycling practices are aligned with local authority guidelines and advocate for more comprehensive plastic recycling programs.
Educate and engage employees
Corporations can educate their employees about the impact of plastic waste and provide guidance on reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic items. They can also involve employees in decision-making processes related to plastic reduction initiatives, encouraging a sense of collective responsibility.
By implementing these strategies, corporations can effectively encourage the use of reusable alternatives, contributing to a significant reduction in plastic waste.
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Avoid greenwashing
Corporations should avoid greenwashing by being transparent about their environmental impact and not making false claims about their sustainability efforts. Greenwashing is when a company claims to be environmentally friendly while still actively polluting or contributing to environmental harm. For example, in 2018, Nestlé stated that it had "ambitions" for 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025, but Greenpeace criticized this as greenwashing due to a lack of clear targets and timelines. Similarly, Coca-Cola's switch to clear Sprite bottles was marketed as enhancing recyclability, but these bottles are not widely recycled.
To avoid greenwashing, corporations should first understand their plastic usage and conduct plastic audits to assess their true impact. They should set clear and ambitious targets for reducing plastic consumption and switch to more sustainable materials, focusing on eliminating single-use plastics. For instance, ASDA planned to immediately reduce plastic use by 10% in 2018 and remove single-use cups and cutlery by 2019. Evian, a bottled water company, is also taking steps towards becoming plastic-free by pledging to produce only 100% recycled bottles by 2025.
Corporations should also be cautious of advertising and marketing strategies that may contribute to greenwashing. For example, plastic water bottle companies like Poland Spring, Evian, and Deer Park use nature on their labels, which can be misleading considering their contribution to the plastic waste crisis. Instead, companies should provide accurate information about their products' recyclability and not rely on recycling alone to address the plastic crisis. Reducing plastic production and consumption is crucial, and corporations should advocate for legislation that discourages plastic use and holds plastic producers accountable.
By being transparent, setting ambitious targets, switching to sustainable materials, and advocating for systemic change, corporations can avoid greenwashing and make a meaningful impact in reducing plastic pollution.
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Prioritise virgin plastic reduction
Virgin plastics, which are made from fossil fuels, remain cheaper and more prevalent due to the economic and infrastructural challenges of recycling. However, the continuous production of virgin plastics is one of the biggest challenges to increasing recycling rates. To address this issue, some countries have mandated that new products contain a minimum percentage of recycled plastic, creating a built-in demand for recycled materials and helping to stabilize the market. For example, California has implemented legislation requiring specific recycled content in plastic products. Parts of the European Union have enacted similar mandates, encouraging companies to incorporate recycled materials by making it a regulatory requirement. These policies create a more predictable demand for recycled materials, helping make recycling projects financially viable at scale and incentivizing companies to prioritize sustainable sourcing.
Corporations can play a crucial role in reducing virgin plastic usage by prioritizing recycled content in their products and packaging. This involves understanding their current plastic usage and exposure, which may require cross-departmental collaboration and plastic audits. By setting ambitious goals for reducing virgin plastic, companies can contribute significantly to decreasing their use of fossil fuels and finding more sustainable packaging options. For instance, The Kraft Heinz Company has announced a goal to reduce its use of virgin plastic in global packaging by 20% by 2030, aiming to eliminate approximately 100 million pounds of virgin plastic. Similarly, Evian has pledged to make all its bottles with 100% recycled materials by 2025, partnering with organizations to create a circular model across the business.
Another effective strategy is to reduce single-use plastic in operations and products. Virgin Media O2, in partnership with Technetix, has successfully removed almost 18 tonnes of single-use plastic from equipment and packaging. They replaced plastic bags, foam, blister packs, and plastic straps with more sustainable alternatives. Additionally, ASDA, a UK food retailer, set plans to immediately reduce plastic use by 10% in 2018, removing single-use cups and cutlery by 2019. They also aim to make all branded packaging recyclable by the mid-2020s, demonstrating a strong commitment to reducing virgin plastic usage.
To further reduce virgin plastic consumption, corporations can encourage the use of reusable items among their customers. Costa Coffee, for example, offers discounts on reusable cups and plans to remove plastic straws from its cafes. By incentivizing customers to choose reusable options, companies can decrease the demand for single-use plastic items. Additionally, implementing plastic-free policies in stadiums and venues can significantly reduce plastic waste. Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium will ban all single-use plastics, including in VIP areas, and provide biodegradable alternatives, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability.
In summary, prioritizing virgin plastic reduction involves setting ambitious goals, transitioning to recycled materials, reducing single-use plastic, and encouraging reusable alternatives. By implementing these strategies, corporations can play a pivotal role in minimizing virgin plastic usage, reducing their environmental impact, and contributing to a more sustainable future.
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Frequently asked questions
Reducing plastic usage is good for the environment and climate change, which in turn improves the company's image to customers and investors. It also ensures compliance with any legislative changes implemented by governments, so that the business is not negatively impacted by changes in the law.
Corporations can encourage staff to use less plastic by providing incentives. For example, staff could be encouraged to bring reusable water bottles and use recyclable or reusable containers for food. Corporations can also switch to suppliers that provide plastic-free alternatives, and swap plastic products for more sustainable alternatives, such as ceramic crockery and steel cutlery.
Corporations should first understand their exposure to plastic usage, which may involve different departments working together to compile this information. A plastic audit can also be arranged to understand the true impact of plastic on the business. Corporations should also avoid greenwashing, which is when a business claims environmental credentials when still actively polluting.
