How businesses can reduce plastic waste

Plastic – it’s with us everywhere, in our products, our manufacturing processes and our packaging.

So severe is the problem that 175 countries are currently negotiating the UN Global Plastics Treaty, to form a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution by 2040, addressing the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.

Launched in 2022, this year’s event in Busan, Republic of Korea (November 25 to December 1) marks the final round of negotiations on the goals.

So, what should business leaders be thinking about?

“Cutting down on packaging consumption can be easier than you think with a strategic approach in your business to encourage everyone to contribute to the circular economy,” says Roger Wright, waste strategy and packaging manager of sustainable waste management company Biffa.

“Be it advising your team to use reusable items or educating on the different types of plastic and how to dispose of them correctly, simple changes can make a big difference.”

Start with a waste audit

There are many ways businesses can do their bit to reduce plastic usage and waste, says Bruce Bratley, founder and CEO of waste management services company First Mile. For employers in office, retail and food and beverage industries, he suggests the first step is a waste audit.

“Begin by evaluating all waste generated within your workplace to identify areas where plastic use can be minimised. This might include switching from single-use plastic bottles to reusable options, including groceries packaged in recyclable materials, or opting for milk in reusable glass bottles instead of plastic,” says Bratley. “Once you’ve reduced what you can, establish appropriate recycling streams, such as mixed recycling and flexible plastics to manage remaining waste effectively.”

Many businesses are transitioning to soft plastic packaging, such as pouches for detergent or washing up liquid, which require fewer resources to produce than rigid plastics, he adds. Other changes might include ensuring that recycling bins are conveniently located throughout the workplace and clearly marked, or conducting workshops to educate staff on effective recycling practices and celebrate milestones to encourage participation, Bratley suggests.

Build smart habits

However, Jason Wise, editor of business and technology publication EarthWeb, adds: “Cutting plastic waste means more than tossing a recycling bin into the office or switching to reusable coffee cups. It’s about rethinking how a business runs, finding ways to cut back on plastic from the start, and building smarter habits into the system.

“Some companies get creative with it, making changes that fit what they do best,” says Wise. “Look at Unilever. They’ve started to roll out refillable packaging, like deodorants and shampoo bottles you don’t throw away but refill at home or in stores. This way, they’re not just shrinking waste; they’re helping shift customer behaviour without turning things upside down. Lush tackled the issue by skipping plastic altogether. A lot of their products – like shampoo bars – don’t need packaging at all. No bottles, no pumps, just the product.”

Sustainability consultancy Anthesis, which works with companies on their plastic waste management strategies, stresses the need to move to a circular economy model, noting that certain types of businesses are in a particularly strong position to lead the charge on reuse and reducing plastic waste. For example, for venue owners – such as theatres, cinemas, sports grounds – consumption typically occurs in closed and controllable environments, where packaging can be easily captured, cleaned and reused repeatedly.

How we reduced plastic in our businesses

Here, three businesses tell us how they’ve managed to reduce and recycle plastics in their operations…

Building solutions

IBRAN, a global leader in recycled plastic landscaping materials, takes waste plastic and turns it into building materials including gravel grids, permeable paving and drain channels. The company’s founder Ted Bromley-Hall says the most regularly produced single use waste materials are foil and film-based low density materials like shrink wrap, which is the most commonly discarded material in warehouses and distribution after a single round of transport.

Initially buying a baling machine which compacts the shrink wrap into dense blocks which could be sent to a firm specialising in recycling LDPE (low-density polyethylene) film, the company also shortened its supply chains and logistics process to reduce IBRAN’s own use of shrink wrap.

“Less transport means less packaging. Now we ship our goods straight out of our factory, helping us to reduce this LDPE waste by 98%. Keeping everything local also means there’s no in-built mileage, helping to reduce our carbon footprint. The remainder of this waste is still processed but now we use a local firm, in keeping with our local supply chain framework.”

Circular model food containers

CauliBox supplies employers with reusable food containers that can be used up to 400 times, for canteens or kitchen areas. It uses tracking technology which monitors the life cycle and usage of each item, and AI-powered reverse vending machines which facilitate the return process by scanning and verifying used containers.

Within a circular system, the packaging is used, tracked, returned and washed, eliminating single-use waste. It’s currently used by more than 50 companies, including Bank of England, Barts Health NHS Trust, and the University of Greenwich.

CauliBox co-founders Jo Liang and Ming Zhao understand that to promote sustainable habits, you need to make reusable products as attractive and accessible as single-use plastic products. Liang says: “Cauli has thrived on our ability to help employers reward employees through coffee and pastries, fun prizes and more when they choose reuse over single-use.”

Packaging development

Global consumer health company Haleon, whose portfolio of category-leading brands includes Sensodyne, has reduced plastic waste by developing recyclable-ready toothpaste tubes and caps. Some 700 million virgin plastic toothpaste caps across Europe are being replaced with bio-resin versions made from waste products, which are indistinguishable from regular caps.

It is also working with collaborators to trial the use of a ground-breaking AI model that can accurately detect tubes in recycling facilities in real-time, to help with the sorting of recyclable waste.

Along with their suppliers, the company is aiming to eliminate about 2,000 tons of virgin plastic from the supply chain and plans to use learnings from the project across other regions and categories, working towards its wider goal of reducing the use of virgin petroleum-based plastic by a third by 2030. As a result of these efforts, Haleon has been featured in the 2022-2023 UK Plastics Pact Annual Progress Report for its targets in recycle-ready tubes.

In ESG news this week:

• Major supermarkets and food industry leaders have backed calls for the Government to ban cages for egg-laying hens.
• A Government-backed review has been launched to support millions of small UK businesses to boost their bottom line through sustainability.
• Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is set to confirm the Government will consult on easing rules related to the phasing-out of new petrol and diesel cars, the PA news agency understands.
• The closure of Vauxhall’s Luton plant is a “downpayment” for further job losses in future, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith has said.
• Employers’ confidence in the UK economy has recovered this year but still remains weak, according to a new study among recruiters.

Find out more about our ESG offering here: https://go.pa.media/l/314511/2022-11-07/l91tq

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