Are you concerned about the amount of plastic waste your organization is generating? Have you been thinking about eliminating plastic from your work environment? Then, ‘Plastic Free July’ is what you need to implement at your office.
To ensure the success of ‘Plastic Free July’, you first need to understand the aim of this movement. The idea behind this is to avoid the use of plastic by refusing to use reusable plastic-made containers and objects.
In order to do so, you need to follow the steps provided below:
Step 1 – Literate Your Employees about the Harmful Effects of Plastic
Introduce your employees to this movement by explain the harmful effects of plastic as well as the waste generated through subsequent use of this material. Talk about the amount of waste generated each year, the recycling rate, the number of years plastic takes to decompose as well as the negative impact on the environment.
Step 2 – Form a Sustainability Team
In order to ensure the success of Plastic Free July, you will need to put together a team to keep a check on the practices you have decided to implement to avoid the generation of plastic waste. The best way to do so is to ask for volunteers first. This will ensure your team is equally committed to the cause.
Step 3 – Segregate Your Waste
Replace your old dustbins and waste collectors with recyclable bins so it is easier to monitor the amount and type of waste your organization is generating. This will not only make way for proper waste disposable methods but will also help you implement better policies by studying the waste generated on a regular basis.
Step 4- Provide Incentives
The best way to ensure that your employees are committed to the cause is by proving incentives whenever anyone comes up with an innovative way to put such plastics to use rather than letting it end up in the waste.
Step 5 – Implement Techniques to Effectively Combat Plastic Waste
Apart from rightly segregating the waste generated, you can also purchase equipment such as plastic shredders and grinders to facilitate the waste disposal practices. Another great way to do so is by collecting the plastic waste generated and depositing it at facilities that specialize in recycling plastic waste.
Step 6 – Ban Single use Plastic Containers
Encourage your employees to carry containers for their daily needs. For instance, ask them to carry flasks instead of opting for plastic cups, avoid using straws and carry lunch boxes which they can use to eat their food in. By making an effort at the grassroot level is what will eventually bring about the necessary changes!
As you might already know, plastics take over a hundred years to degrade and also release toxins during the process. Therefore, it is extremely important to initiate such activities at a micro level in order to bring about a global change. By following the steps mentioned above you will be able to completely avoid the generation of plastic waste at your workplace. And, with due diligence, you will be able to carry out such activities for longer durations than a month. With time, you will make a considerable difference to the waste your organization generates as well as your employees’ attitudes towards plastics and plastic waste.
By Erich Lawson