Have you considered a switch to green alternatives? Plastic Free July is just around the corner meaning now is the perfect time to review your current commitment to reducing plastic, become more sustainable and take a small step towards a greener future for your business.
When we say sustainable, we don’t mean just sorting through office waste and identifying the different types of rubbish that can go into the recycling bin. No, we mean making a conscious effort to reduce the large percentage of recycling waste that ends up incinerated or exported by opting for plastic-free alternatives.
Why? Well, did you know that plastic breaks down into microplastics which eventually end up polluting our oceans? They do! In the Pacific Ocean, there’s a collection of debris, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which weighs an estimated 80,000 tonnes and contains 99.9% plastic.
How much of this do you think came from your office?
At this point, you may be feeling alarmed, but don’t panic. There are things you can do. By reducing your businesses usage of harmful materials and swapping for eco-friendly alternatives, you can cut down your impact.
We get it; as a business owner it’s hard to find the time to review your plastic usage and source alternative products, so we’ve done the hard work for you!
If you’re up to the challenge, take a look at how you and your employees can reduce plastic waste with these five alternative products.
1. Wash your dishes with some eco-friendly alternatives
Take a moment to think about the various products used to complete the washing up. Plastic bottled washing up liquid, plastic cleaning brushes, plastic-packaged sponges – that’s a lot of plastic!
Why not clean up your act by switching to eco-friendly alternatives? With our zesty-smelling lemon dishwashing powder, plant-based compostable sponges and wooden cleaning brushes, employees will be queuing up to clean their dishes.
If you’ve been feeling bad about using plastic while washing up, this will help get rid of that sinking feeling.
2. Swap plastic bin bags for real biodegradable bags
Even small businesses can get through a huge amount of bin liners every week. They can be used to line wastepaper bins under each desk, kitchen swing bins and even recycling bins.
An easy way to cut down on your plastic usage is to swap these for biodegradable bags made from 100% organic materials? These break down into all-natural elements and will look great in the office bins.
FACT: Did you know that a bin bag can last for 144 years?*
Well, we don’t like to brag, but our bin bags break down in about 6 months if composted.
*Approximately. We don’t know exactly but it is a very long time for sure.
3. Wipe away your environmental mistakes with sustainable cleaning products
Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe you’ve spilt green tea on your keyboard – again! It’s easy to reach for the kitchen roll but do you know the truth behind this seemingly harmless product?
Issue: Not only is kitchen roll usually wrapped in single-use, non-recyclable plastic, it’s also a big contributor to deforestation.
Solution: Why not order some non-paper kitchen rolls made from sugarcane & bamboo for your employees? It grows much faster than trees which makes it a much more sustainable choice.
You could even go a little further with their sustainable care pack by combining this with a pack of glass bottles and cleaning sachets, which can help them clean up surfaces before they leave. Better still, they can be used by cleaners to sanitise the floors, windows and the oven without a piece of plastic in sight.
WIN-WIN!
4. Turn the bathroom into an eco-friendly heaven
The sound of eco-friendly toilet paper might make you think of a scratchy, uncomfortable experience but eco-friendly toilet paper doesn’t have to mean harsh! Our high-quality sustainable paper is made from bamboo fibres and so is silky soft. It is completely plastic-free and helps to save trees as well.
We think your employees and visitors would love a little extra luxury, don’t you?
5.Wash your hands with sustainable soap
Obviously, we have recently been having to wash our hands more to protect ourselves and those that we care about during the global pandemic and now that businesses are beginning to return to their usual place of work, handwashing is even more vital.
Typical hand soap dispensers are incredibly hard to recycle due to their mixture of materials. This means that while your employees are washing their hands more, they’ll also be using up more plastic.
If you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty to help save the planet, then we suggest trying some eco-friendly soaps made from sweet-smelling natural ingredients. They even come in glass bottles too!
If you’re ready to take on the sustainable business challenge contact us via hello@ecovibe.co.uk to discuss your requirements.