Plastic is something that we all use in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s plastic water bottles, straws, food packaging or carrier bags, it’s hard to get away from. Unfortunately, the plastic that we use is causing masses of pollution and damaging the environment. It is estimated that there are more than 5 trillion tonnes of plastic waste in our oceans. Addressing the rising plastic pollution and doing something about how we use and dispose of our plastic in our homes and offices is long overdue.
While it may seem impossible to stop using plastic completely, at least in the short term, there are things that we can all be doing to reduce the amount of plastic we use and make sure that any plastic we dispose of is recycled correctly. Here are some tips on how we can all take action against plastic:
Ask the Milkman
Most of us consume milk every day. When we buy our milk in supermarkets, it comes in plastic containers. By going old school and using a milk delivery service, you are not only saving a trip to the shop, but the bottles that are delivered to your home or business are usually made from glass that is fully recyclable – they’ll even collect your empty bottles to be recycled straight from your doorstep.
Pop to the Shops
Buy doing your shopping yourself, and avoiding placing your orders online, you can be sure to avoid plastic. Select items that are wrapped in eco-friendly alternatives to plastic such as cheese wrapped in wax. Remember to take your reusable shopping bag with you so you don’t have to use one of the stores plastic ones. If placing your order online is unavoidable, opt for the bagless delivery option, and if your store does not offer this as an option, think about changing to one that does.
Cup to Go
Many of us like to pick up a coffee from the local coffee shop for our daily commute. Rather than using the disposable cups that they provide, invest in a reusable coffee mug or two. Fill it up at home or take to the coffee shop for them to fill up, some places even offer a discount for using your own cup.
The Same Goes for Water Bottles
Buy a good, reusable water bottle. Fill it with filtered water, or fizzy water from a Soda Stream or whatever else you like to drink. Just do what you can to make sure you avoid buying single-use water bottles.
Lose the Clingfilm
Avoid packing your lunch in clingfilm. Instead, use reusable plastic or glass containers to transport your lunches to the office. They’ll stay just as fresh and will avoid creating more plastic pollution.
Recycle Recycle Recycle
Last, but by no means least… recycle. Recycle as much of your waste as possible. Arrange to have your office recycling and waste removed by a reputable company that uses low emission fleets. Don’t forget that toners and print cartridges can be recycled for free and replaced with eco-friendly replacements.
Don’t just recycle your waste, but buy recycled office supplies too. Paper, toner and pens can all be made from recycled materials, reducing the amount of plastic waste that is sent to landfill or dumped in the ocean – in fact, Pilot have recently launched the world’s first pen made from recycled water bottles which not only looks good and makes a strong statement, but writes incredibly too!
Global Office Supplies specialise in cutting down costs on the products your office consumes on a daily basis. In addition, we offer excellent recycling services to help companies towards their green energy targets and help turn their office into an eco-friendly working environment.
Global Office Supplies specialise in cutting down costs on the products your office consumes on a daily basis. In addition, we offer excellent recycling services to help companies towards their green energy targets and help turn their office into an eco-friendly working environment.
In most cases, we can deliver all of your office supplies, including paper, the very same day
