For businesses in 2018, plastic has become an epidemic. Plastic keyboard, plastic mouse, plastic pens, plastic water bottle, plastic food packaging – it’s at our fingertips throughout our working day.
Plastic consumption may once have been at the bottom of a business’ priorities, but the days of it being a trivial matter are well and truly over. The almost daily headlines around the growth of the plastic island in the Pacific Ocean – now estimated to be six times the size of the UK – together with impassioned pleas from the likes of David Attenborough have shifted public attitudes. Sky News will mention the damage we are causing to our planet almost hourly with the ‘Ocean Rescue’ campaign they are running. The headline of this campaign is that every minute, the equivalent of a rubbish truck-load of plastic goes in to our oceans, it never decomposes and will remain there forever.
Such statistics make for sobering reading and it would be difficult for any responsible business not to respond. While recycling plastic has become habitual at home, it’s fair to say the day-to-day business world is probably still playing catch-up. I can’t help but notice, with the hundreds of offices that I visit every year as part of my business development role, that recycling is often not commonplace for offices and I often see plastic waste piled into normal refuge bins dotted around offices and communal kitchens.
While we will never escape plastics in our offices (unless another material for most office equipment is invented), businesses can take some very simple measures that don’t cost the earth. At Aura Technology, we have implemented all of the below tips to become greener and reduce our plastic waste:
Becoming a more environmentally-friendly business won’t necessarily have overnight wins, but the rewards can be reaped in the long-term. A more motivated workforce, reputation, public relations, reducing the bottom line – these are just a few of the long-term payoffs, in addition to your business helping to protect the planet for the present and future.
I predict more and more businesses will employ innovative ways of reducing plastic consumption over the next few years and we will start to see changes in office culture. Whether it will be a revolution or an evolution, remains to be seen.
I’d love to hear your tips and your stories, so please share this article to increase awareness as I truly believe we all have a part to play.
Steve Stokes
Head of Business Development – Aura Technology