Plastic Free July

By Beverly Agius

"9.2 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since 1950, which is when plastic production really started to boom. Approximately 6.9 billion tonnes of that has become waste, and 91% of that plastic has never been recycled."

National Geographic Magazine

June 2018

Imagine if you only wore each item of clothing once, and then threw it away. That sounds absurd, but it’s exactly what we do with thousands of everyday items made of plastic. Many bags, takeaway containers and straws are designed to be useful for a few minutes and then be discarded. Through the years we have seen many great individuals work on cleaning up the oceans, and creating plastic in beautiful art. However the majority of the issue remains and plastic doesn’t go away; it ends up in landfill or as litter. It harms our communities and our wildlife and we are producing it more than we can recycle.

All of us here at Suttie Financial Group has always been committed to make changes to reduce plastic for our business however for Plastic Free July – we are going the extra mile and removing all single-use plastic. Here is how you can join in the challenge and make a difference to the world.

Substitution and Replacement.

This includes making a note of all the daily single-use items in the office and how there may be substitutes that are eco-friendly.

Suttie Financial Group has made many changes to improve energy usage (through electricity and lighting), paper consumption (through recyclable alternatives), however a growing concern for the environment led us to look into plastic substitutes. Here’s some of the implemented changes we made, that your business can get on board with.

1. Glass
  Unlike plastic, which often is derived from fossil fuels, glass is made from sand. This renewable resource doesn’t contain chemicals that can leach into your food or body and it’s easily recycled. Avoid plastic bottles, throw-away cups, milk bottles, and plastic containers used for food. Opt for glass substitutes that will last you a lot longer. Many of our staff members purchase their lunch from local cafes. Rather than being provided with a new plastic container each day – they bring their own!
2. Reusable Shopping Bags
  When plastic bags first hit the scene, we had a choice: paper or plastic. Today, it’s all plastic. All businesses require some form of office supplies and if you’re not that hypervigilant person at the checkout, you’ll find yourself walking home with a bag for each item. Reusable bags are often handed out for free. You can even go the next mile and get them branded with your business. In reality, any type of bag will do, as long as it’s not plastic.
3. Eco-Friendly Labelling
  We keep in mind when purchasing office materials as to what the packaging says. “Eco-Friendly”, “Forest Friendly”, “Recyclable” – these are all great things to look out for. Purchasing products with recyclable options will reduce the need to create more, forces companies to rethink their plastic policies and keeps our planet healthy.
4. Purchasing Products With Plastic Where There Are Alternatives To Having None Or Drastically Reduce.
  Muffins from large enterprises such as Coles may come in a large box of plastic but supporting the local small business cafe’ means buying fresh muffins that come in a paper bag or your own reusable bag. Purchasing packaged fruit, plastic pens that are packaged in more plastic… the list never ends but there are essential steps your business can make:

- Hotels are offering shampoo and other in-room supplies in bulk dispensers instead of single-use plastic bottles.
- Retail shops are shortening the supply chain to have more influence over the packaging used.
- Food businesses are choosing to use reusable containers instead of plastic wrap on food and encourage their consumers to bring their own cups.

How To Bring Awareness To Others

Signage:
Signage is an affordable method to bring awareness that can be used throughout the year. If you’re looking into creating signage, prominent display areas include:
- The entrance of your business.
- Checkouts, where people can choose to refuse single-use plastics.
- In the bin area, with information on what goes in them (e.g. food waste in the compost bin).
- Refillable water stations, with additional signage around so people can find them easily.
Communicate with your staff and clients:
Pay it forward by sharing this article on your business’s social media, website and email marketing. Encourage your staff over lunch to talk about the impact and the responsibilities as a business to guide the consumerist behaviour. Importantly, encourage everyone to check out Plastic Free July global initiative and to sign up the challenge.

We understand that plastic-free solutions are not always readily accessible for business’s needs nor as affordable. However ask yourself, what the convenience of today is costing the world tomorrow.

Other resources:

Spread the word and make a difference!

Disclaimer

Richard E Suttie Pty. Ltd. Trading as Suttie Financial Group.

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