Plastic-Pollution-Solution-Tool-Kit-Guide

7 On the day 5 Gather your bins, either in your one designated spot, or at individual work stations 5 Lay down some newspaper, a tarp, or drop cloth 5 Spread your rubbish out so you can get a good look at everything 5 Separate out your plastics by type; bottles, containers, cling wrap, single-use like plastic cutlery, straws, plastic bags, and food containers 5 Weigh or count the number of pieces in each group 5 Record weight or count on your worksheet The first step to reducing plastic waste in your workplace is to figure out how much you are currently creating. This will give you a good starting point to work from. By conducting a bin audit in your workplace you’ll discover the waste that can be avoided, replaced, or recycled. How to Conduct a Green Audit Getting Organised 5 Gather a team of likeminded and willing colleagues together 5 Another option is to invite all staff to conduct their own bin audit, offering incentives, or making a bit of a game or competition out of it is a good way to get people involved 5 Choose a spot that will allow you enough space (and ventilation) to lay out your rubbish for the audit 5 Pick a day, the end of the workday would be best so that there’s enough rubbish in bins to give you a good idea of where you’re at What you will need 5 Rubber gloves 5 Newspaper or a tarp or drop-cloth 5 Record sheet 5 Scales 5 The day’s rubbish 5 A suitable place to sort rubbish What’s next? 5 Now that you’ve audited your bin you have some valuable information about the type of waste you and your colleagues produce in a day at work. Take note of the quick and immediate changes that you can make, it’s these things that can make a big impact.  5 Take note of all the items in the plastics category, and make a note of how many of each type were found 5 How much of this came from home, from work, how much is single-use etc? 5 Focus on what you can change right now. It might be to start bringing packed lunches from home instead of buying take aways in single-use containers. Or taking a reusable coffee cup to the café instead of throwing away the disposables. Whatever it is, just know that even though it may feel small, it’s making a big difference to the planet. 5 Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based) goals to reduce each item found in your bin audit. Set a regular appointment with yourself and the team to reflect back on these goals, and conduct follow-up bin audits every 6 - 12 months to see how far you’ve come.