Many of us with typical jobs spend 8 hours a day in the office, meaning food is consumed, drinks are drunk, breaks are taken and plastic is probably involved!

We have come up with a few ways to reduce reliance on plastic in your office:

1. Switch to a coffee percolator instead of “pods” which are rarely recyclable, and even those which are seldom make it past the black bin sack. Installing a water filter also means there’s no need for plastic bottles and we don’t need to tell you that plastic straws/stirrers are a no-no!
2. For coffee aficionados, order branded keep-cups with your company logo that can be taken to the nearest barista. Free advertising and saving the planet? Yes please!
3. Provide fruit instead of biscuits in non-recyclable packets. If you can find a local supplier who delivers plastic-free, even better, plus your employees will be healthier – bonus points! If your staff can’t cope without a sweet treat, how about regular bake-offs? Homemade cake always tastes better and encourages camaraderie.  
4. Go as paperless as possible; this will save your printer cartridge use and the trees will hug you back!
5. Audit the stationery cupboard, and when you are running low, try highlighter pencils as an alternative.
6. Make sure the fridge is big enough so people can bring in a packed lunch rather than resorting to shop-bought pre-packaged options.
7. Keep a stash of cloth bags for staff to take shopping; if they forget their own, there’s no excuse to come back to the office brandishing a plastic carrier bag.
8. Office parties and decorations can be an unnecessary source of plastic. Try to encourage plastic-free gifts when it comes to Secret Santas and if you’re doing a fancy dress party, why not source outfits from charity shops? You have to be a little more creative, but the results are unique and can go straight back to charity afterwards!
9. Recycle what you can, and investigate a food-waste bin for composting tea-bags and lunchtime scraps.
10. Audit the suppliers you work with and contact them with feedback; for example, do you receive industry publications in film sleeves? Let them know you’d like them to be delivered loose.
11. Appoint an environmental champion to spread the word amongst employees and to hold them accountable. Reward changes in behaviour with a coffee or even a plastic-free pint to see in the weekend!

Are you or do you know of a business which is making plastic-free changes? This helps Guernsey to edge closer to becoming a Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Community so let us know and we can tell the world! Check out the SAS Toolkit below for even more tips! 

SAS Business Toolkit