Firms set to tackle pointless plastic

The charity has created a free toolkit that businesses can use to implement their own strategy with templates, advice and official certificates and stickers to promote them as a Tackling Plastic Business – demonstrating their commitment to helping the environment. The initiative has become more topical than ever as businesses negotiate their next steps as they get back to work following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Businesses throughout Ballyhackamore in Belfast, in conjunction with Ballyhackamore Business Association, took part in the recent pilot, including Oasis Travel, Mauds Café, AB&C Insurance, Templeton Robinson and more.

The toolkit is a handy guide with five simple steps to suit individual businesses, that the team at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will guide users through individually. Businesses are asked to be part of the solution and tackle plastic in the workplace in a number of ways – from banning plastic cups, to reducing their printed materials – there are lots of ways to take part.

Claire Hudson, Tackling Plastics Coordinator at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “Since we issued our Litter Composition Report in March, and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we have had an influx of local businesses asking us how they can help tackle pointless plastic. They want advice on changes they can make to their daily business routines to join the effort. We’ve had to make radical changes in our lives over the past six months, and as more people shop local, we’ve realised the strength of our communities when we work together. We want businesses to come together in the same way, to reduce the amount of plastic they use.”

Brendan Mallon, Retail Development Manager at Oasis Travel explained: “We used the Tackling Plastic Toolkit to plan and take more deliberate actions to stop using and reducing unnecessary plastics. The toolkit was easy to adapt to our needs and helpful in getting the whole team on board. We are taking action to significantly reduce use of single-use plastic when grabbing lunch on the go, eliminating single-use items from our kitchen supplies and working with our suppliers to choose more sustainable options.”

Claire continued: “Our templates help businesses audit their current situation and highlight where change is needed – it then recognises their efforts that they can promote to customers and other businesses that they are joining this fight and evoking change. It is our vision that every business in Northern Ireland will use this toolkit and make small changes one step at a time to do their bit to tackle pointless plastic”.

To find out how your business can get started contact Claire Hudson, Tackling Plastic Coordinator at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful at [email protected]

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