Plastic waste is a massive global issue. It is predicted that this year alone, eight billion kilograms of plastic waste will enter the world’s rivers, seas, canals and walkways posing very real threats to both animals and humans.
Plastic is cheap and durable so it is widely used by many companies and production levels are extremely high. However, most plastics are not biodegradable and others can take anywhere between 10 and 10,000 years to decompose. As a result, there is an abundance of plastic waste, a huge proportion of which ends up being deposited into the sea putting marine life at danger – plastic is not only toxic and poisonous to wildlife but can also cause animals to become tangled and trapped.
Tackling Plastic Waste in Amsterdam’s Canals
In an attempt to tackle the plastic waste crisis in Amsterdam, Holland, Plastic Whale, “the first professional plastic fishing company in the world” have teamed up with Vepa, one of the most versatile producers of office and project furniture in the Netherlands, to produce office furniture made purely from plastic waste collected from Amsterdam’s canals.
For the last few years, Plastic Whale has been fishing for plastic in the city’s canals. The first batch of plastic that they collected was transformed into boats, enabling them to carry even more “plastic fishermen” and even more plastic. This led to more frequent and more effective plastic waste cleanups resulting in more plastic to be repurposed. With a large supply of plastic waste, Plastic Whale enlisted the help of Vepa and created a line of office furniture including a boardroom table, chairs, lamps and acoustic wall panels.
The furniture, circular in design, is inspired by whales to pay homage to the majestic sea creatures that the company is fighting to protect – the Chair subtly echoes the familiar majestic shape of a whale’s tale and the Lamp is inspired by the barnacles found living on a whale’s skin.
Plastic Whale intends to invest in plastic combating initiatives around the world with the proceeds from the furniture they sell. All of their products are made from reclaimed PET Plastic, use recycled steel for the structure and textile waste for the cushioning. Once the furniture is no longer required, it can be recycled again – and they will even pay you for it!
Doing Your Bit
While initiatives like these are fantastic for the environment and help to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up strewn into our oceans, it’s important that we all do our bit to ensure that we take charge of our own recycling. We need to make sure that we avoid using single-use plastic where possible, that we dispose of our waste responsibly and that we produce and use recycled products.
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 next day
