On the 16th May 2019, the Government released their ‘25 Year Environment Plan’, within which they stated that they’re “working to a target of eliminating avoidable plastic waste by [the] end of 2042.” However it’s fair to say that plastic waste has headed in the opposite direction as a result of the last six months.
We’ve all seen the clips of our oceans polluted with disposable face masks, coverings and gloves on the news, spurring customers to search for alternatives not only to these products, but also in everyday living in order to prevent a delay in the above goal. With companies like Lego ditching the plastic and trialling paper bags to hold the contents of their kits, where should we be looking to make switches in our day to day?
- Too Good to Go
A food waste solution designed to “save food, help the planet”, a fantastic alternative to your usual means of ordering a takeaway. This business model relies on bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels to list any leftover food on the app for customers to snatch up. Not only can you order from your favourite foodie spot – Yo!Sushi, Patisserie Valerie and more – but you’re also saving what you may have ordered anyway from going in the bin.
Many businesses are on board with the movement as they cut down on waste, helping to achieve their own goals, as well as attracting customers they might not have reached otherwise, all whilst making money where they were initially losing out.
To download the app or find out more about Too Good to Go’s movement, click here https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb/.
- A Good Company
Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, A Good Company is summed up in one sentence “From mindless consumption to conscious decisions.” Innovative designs to replace daily items such as phone cases, hair accessories, glue sticks, crayons and pens for eco-friendly options. Our favourites being the notepad, A5 journals and pocket diaries, not only are these sensitive to the environment but also waterproof due to being made from stone paper.
As well as being a nice treat for yourself or a gift to a friend, A Good Company also caters for bulk ordering so you can equip your team, clients and self with sustainable stationery and equipment at work.
To view their entire collection of conscious products: https://agood.com/collections/shop
- PSH Environmental
Of course, we wanted to include ourselves in here as it is our top priority to divert 99-100% of waste from ending up in the landfill. Filtering and separating both skip and wheelie bin waste, going through numerous steps to remove recyclable items for new purposes, non-recyclable waste to be shredded for Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), even hand sorting smaller items that aren’t picked up in the pre-sort or by our bespoke machinery.
We work with the Norfolk County Council to process and dispose of general waste from the Broadland and North Norfolk Districts, again working towards achieving our goal for landfill diversion. In addition to this, we recommend for homeowners and commercial properties in the Norfolk area to consider hiring a skip to dispose of unwanted items and materials, as opposed to taking it to the tip or shoving into their wheelie bins.
Hire a skip with us today: https://parkersskips.com/skip-hire-norwich/
- Project Mumbai
An award-winning initiative that focusses to “identify challenges which people face, every day. And find solutions.” Their most recent campaign aims to send a kilo of free rations to those in need for every kilo of plastic waste that is donated. Running from the 3rd October 2020 till the 8th, residents of Mumbai and Thane will be able to donate their plastic waste and help someone in need.
And, the hard work doesn’t stop there. All plastic waste donated throughout the campaign will be used to make civic amenities such as benches in parks and pencil cases for schools. CEO and founder Shishir Joshi has this to say “In July, during the lockdown, we had managed to collect almost 1-ton plastic waste during our drive and we are hopeful of collecting between 2.5 to 3 tons during the October campaign of ours.”
To read more about the campaign, click here: https://www.thebetterindia.com/237826/project-mumbai-plastic-waste-collection-donation-food-benches-pencil-pouches-grocery-rice-atta-salt-drop-off-point-vid01/
- Lush
This one most probably comes as no surprise, every part of Lush screams their ethical values. From the paper wrapping and bags for products in-store, the fresh ingredients and handmade products, to the potato starch-based packing chips that your postal delivery is filled to the brim with.
Lush are continually evolving their business to ensure minimal impact on the environment in everything they do. This approach has placed them in the hearts of many customers as a high quality and ethical business.
Treat yourself to some guilt-free downtime: https://uk.lush.com/
Although 2020 may have thrown a spanner in the works for all of our plans, it appears that the majority will not allow it to affect our timeline to put an end to single use plastics. One thing that this odd turnaround of events has shown us, is that in difficult times, no matter what they are, we’re able to pull together and invent new ways of making things work.
If you’re looking to dispose of waste with near to zero impact on the environment, hire a skip today via our online booking forms or call a member of our team on 01603 721533.