COS-Eco-Range-2023-ECatalogue

10 How to Reduce Single - Use Plastics in your Office: Australia now generates 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, which equates to 100 kg per person. Did you know? t’s estimated that every year, 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in oceans – and single-use plastic makes up roughly 50% of this amount. The big problem with plastic waste is that we just don’t know how long it will take to break down. Packaging, single-use items such as plastic bags and straws, and food packaging are among the most significant sources of plastic waste in Australia. Several Australian states have implemented bans on single-use plastics to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. The ban applies to conventional, degradable, and compostable plastics. The Australian government has established the National Packaging Targets to achieve 100% recyclable, compostable, or reusable packaging by 2025. Many businesses and individuals are taking steps to reduce their use of plastic and improve their recycling practises. Here are some of the major initiatives COS has taken in reviewing our packaging since 2019. We are reviewing our product range packaging for 2023, with the goal of preventing at least 6000kg of single-use packaging from ending up in landfill. We plan to achieve this by replacing our current packaging with recyclable or reusable alternatives where possible, and optimising the way in which we package our products. In 2019-2020, we removed 1.3 million pieces of plastic from our packaging, equating to 1443 kg of plastic per year. In 2021, we eliminated 1.18million pieces of plastic fromour packaging, which equates to 3348 kg of plastic per year. To make our packaging more efficient,we removed 459kg of unnecessary cardboard layers. In 2022, we also implored our manufacturers and suppliers to swap out any virgin shipping cartons with recycled content. Remove unnecessary single use plastic. Ensure our packaging is made from recycled content where possible. Work towards all of our packaging being recyclable or reusable by 2025. Phase out problematic non-renewable packaging. These updates are part of our ongoing efforts to: I