Beginning in Australia, the Plastic Free July month was created in 2011 as a global awareness movement. Now the official Plastic Free Foundation manages and coordinates the event due to the excessive growth that has occurred since conception. With July just around the corner, we look at the various ways that a company can embrace the possibilities for operating plastic free.
To start with, we believe that it is important to note that Ireland have banned the use of single use plastics since 2021. The ban included single use plastic straws, stirrers, plastic stemmed cotton buds, chopsticks, plates and any expanded polystyrene single use food and beverage containers.
Building towards a more sustainable future is important for a company as providing ways of operating in a plastic free manner is crucial. We have highlighted some key ways of going plastic free for this July.
- Best Place To Start – straws
At Alliance Online Ireland, we have spent the last few years creating the strategies that can help take a business to the next level for Plastic Free July. It would be most beneficial for a company still using plastic options to change to bamboo, metal or paper. For a convenient every day option we would suggest using paper straws, whereas metal straws should be used for providing a hint of elegance to your drinks range.
- Swap single use cups for reusable options
One of the largest ways a company can produce plastic waste is through lids of the plastic single cups. The ‘Use your own cup’ scheme is one of the most popular ways in which plastic usage can be inhibited (if coffee is offered to customers). This is an incentive that has already been implemented in a lot of high-street coffee chains. The best way to achieve this is by advertising any hot drink that has separate prices. The standard price for regular customers and a cheaper price for customers that use their own cups.
- Do away with plastic cutlery
We would suggest considering replacing any plastic cutlery being used with an alternative. A great option for this would be wooden cutlery, the reason for this being that it perfectly matches the environmental aesthetic as well as a offering a fundamental function. Providing incredible comfortability, the hard wearing and rigid wooden cutlery offers a suitable option for any eatery that also provides a compostable and recyclable possibility.
- Cartonboard food packaging
A sure-fire way of reducing the plastic usage in a commercial catering establishment would be changing the packaging. A great way of providing ready-made meals has historically been plastic containers however with the knowledge we now possess surrounding this topic we believe that there are better and more sustainable options that can be utilised. An example of this being Cartonboard. Cartonboard packaging is an excellent alternative for plastic as it is both recyclable and compostable whilst also offering the benefits that plastic packaging does.
- Concentrate on reducing plastic usage
Another way of reducing plastic usage would be changing the possibilities in how a company buys cleaning chemicals. Making your own solutions and buying concentrates would be a better way environmentally. Due to the shorter product lifespan of ready-to-use options it means that they in turn generate more plastic than concentrates. Generally with ready-to-use options it would be better buy in bulk. After usage you then discard the bottle and open the next one which is why the plastic waste builds up. However, with concentrates only one spray bottle would be needed that you fill with a small quantity of concentrate (find this specified on the bottle) and add the water as well. In turn this will prevent the need for constant discarding of spray bottles and also the need for purchasing more, more frequently.
As stated above it is clear that concentrates provide economic and environmental advantages. Two of the finest concentrate systems are Diversey’s Divermite and SmartDose.
Please don’t feel pressured into fully diving into Plastic Free July as we understand that changing operations can be difficult however we would suggest that you reduce the plastic waste that you produce. As noted, it can be tough and strenuous providing eco-friendly options especially in the food and hospitality sector, this is why we at Alliance Online Ireland offer and promote an eco-shop on our website to help make the transition into providing eco-friendly choices easier. For more information please feel free to contact us on 0353 (0)1 485 4007 or email us at https://www.allianceonline.ie/.
