New guide to help businesses cut their plastic waste launched

plastic packaging, single-use plastic

Australian non-profit environment organisation Planet Ark has launched an online tool that will serve as a guide that will help Australian businesses cut down the plastic waste they are generating.

The guide, How to Reduce and Recycle Plastics at Work, has been released to coincide with the recent actions of various state governments across Australia that effectively banned the use of single-use plastics to address plastic pollution in the environment and the number of plastics being sent to landfill. The guide provides information on these plastic bans and how they impact businesses as well as practical information and tips to reduce plastic waste.

The actions themselves were made in light of the National Waste Report, released, in 2020 which stated that there are more than 50 million tonnes of plastics in Australian landfill, with around 1.2 million tonnes of the 2.1 million tonnes added per year being created by businesses, making them the major contributors to plastic pollution in the country. The same report also revealed that seven of the top 10 litter items collected from the nation’s largest waterways are plastics.

“There is a great deal of concern about plastic pollution among Australians, both in terms of the impact on our beautiful natural environment and in terms of overall waste creation,” Planet Ark co-CEO Rebecca Gilling said. “We created this guide to make it easy for businesses around the country to take responsibility and reduce, reuse and recycle plastics in their workplace.”

The How to Reduce and Recycle Plastics at Work guide provides solutions to the top ten identified plastic products used at work, making it easier for businesses to reduce their plastic impact and potentially reduce waste management costs. The guide also includes case studies of Australian businesses that have successfully reduced their plastic waste, proper usage of the waste hierarchy at work, and information on plastic recycling.

The guide is available at Planet Ark’s Business Recycling website, which provides information on how businesses can address their waste, increase efficiency and improve their reputation while reducing unnecessary costs.