Last month, we announced that we are taking part in Plastic-Free July. Plastic-Free July is a campaign led by the Plastic Free Foundation. Each year, millions of people around the globe take the challenge and choose to refuse single-use plastics. Their vision is to see a world without plastic waste.

The Plastic Free Foundation suggest loads of ways that plastic waste can be reduced, both at home and in the workplace. At Language Insight, we have implemented some of these changes into our offices and set up a ‘Language Insight Green Team’ who are a group of staff members that are passionate about being environmentally friendly!

Here’s what Language Insight are doing to reduce our plastic waste during Plastic-Free July:

Language Insight buys glass bottles of milk from the local milkman, instead of buying plastic bottles of milk from a supermarket.

Running away with the milkman

As we all love a good brew at Language Insight, it is unsurprising that we go through a large quantity of milk every week. We previously bought our milk in plastic bottles from our local supermarket. However, due to the amount of plastic waste this was producing, a few months ago we decided to get our weekly milk supply from our local milkman. This means that our milk gets delivered in glass bottles that the milkman collects and reuses, this also allows us to help a local business!  

Language Insight is trying to ban single-use plastic in the office.

Choose to refuse single-use plastic

With the aim of significantly reducing our plastic waste, we have also decided to try and ban single-use plastic in the office. We gave staff a list of alternatives that they can use rather than buying single-use plastic. Here are a few of our suggestions:

  • Buy a can rather than a plastic bottle – or better yet, buy your own reusable bottle that you can just refill with tap water!
  • Take your own reusable shopping bag to the shop instead of buying a plastic carrier bag that might end up in landfill.
  • Bring your own lunch from home in a reusable tub rather than going out and buying a sandwich wrapped in plastic packaging.
  • Buy fresh, loose items and put them in a paper bag, rather than buying fruit and veg for example that is covered in plastic.
  • Use paper straws and cups.

We have been making any staff that break the ‘plastic-free rule’ take their plastic waste home with them, in the hope that this will make staff more aware of how much single-use plastic they are using.

Language Insight are trying to recycle as much as possible.

Recycle as much as possible

Did you know recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a CFL bulb for 30 hours? Prior to Plastic-free July, we have been making more of an effort to not only recycle any plastic waste but all waste such as cans, paper, cardboard and even food waste!

Language Insight have switched to environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Environmentally friendly office supplies

Cleaning products are up there with one of the biggest plastic-waste contributors in our offices. This is problematic because supermarkets only have a limited range of environmentally friendly cleaning products, and even the majority of the ones available still come in a plastic bottle or plastic packaging. That’s why we have decided to start getting our cleaning supplies from a company that will deliver the different cleaning products in several large containers, which will then allow Language Insight to refill any bottles as and when we need it. The company then comes and refills the large containers when they are running low, therefore saving around 10 plastic bottles a week that Language Insight would normally use for cleaning purposes.

Language Insight try to limit the amount of paper that is used for printing.

Paperless office

At Language Insight, we also try to keep our offices ‘paperless’ by keeping printing to a minimum. However, this cannot always be possible as the recruitment team often need to print materials for staff interviews etc. Therefore, we have started buying recycled paper and then shredding the used paper when it is no longer needed. This shredded paper is then either recycled or taken home by staff and used in their pet’s beds!

Language Insight are encouraging staff to bring their unwanted products into the office in case someone else wants them, instead of throwing them away into landfill.

Swap-shop

Another way that Language Insight are trying to reduce their plastic waste is by encouraging staff to bring in any unwanted clothes, furniture or cosmetics and see if other staff members want them instead of throwing them away. Fast fashion brands contribute heavily towards plastic pollution but allowing staff to swap their unwanted products with each other will at least prevent some products ending up at landfill.

If you have any other ways that Language Insight can be more environmentally friendly in our offices please let us know below!