Think you're too busy to reduce your waste? Think again!
Kaitlyn Dickie was kind enough to step in front of the camera to show us a few simple changes like bringing your own coffee cup, avoiding takeaway trays, and bringing your own grocery bags to the store can help you prevent A LOT of waste.
But, of course, it doesn't end there. Here are more ways for you to reduce your waste at work.
1. commute:
Up first, let's examine how you get from point A to point B. Rethinking your commute is an easy way to have a positive impact on the environment.
Check to see if you can take local transit or maybe you're close enough to bike to work.
Of course, you can always sign up for a carpool. Do you have someone who lives close to you? Even if you can't do it every day, carpooling a few days a week will help out.
Some larger companies even have rideshare programs where they match people together based on location.
2. coffee:
Do you stop into the cafe to get coffee to-go? If so, don't forget your reusable mug! Coffee shops are more than happy to pour your coffee or tea into your own thermos.
If you're just grabbing a cup from the office coffee pot, pour it into a real mug instead of a to-go cup.
3. water bottle:
I personally like to carry an insulated water bottle that can double as a cup for coffee when out or at the office.
Make sure to grab your water from the cooler with a reusable cup instead of grabbing paper cups. I used to keep a 32oz mason jar at my desk. I would fill it up a few times a day so I always stayed hydrated.
4. lunch:
Lunch can be one of the most wasteful meals of the day, but with a few small changes, it can easily be remedied.
If you're going out to lunch, be sure to grab a container. You can either ask for your lunch to go in the container and bring it back to the office or you can simply use it to carry home any leftovers.
Even if you forget your container, there are restaurants popping up every day that have a reusable to-go container scheme which is SO cool! Just Salad is the first one that springs to mind.
Of course, packing your lunch in reusable items like beeswax wraps, a metal lunch box, or a stasher bag are other easy ways to reduce your waste.
5. recycle and compost:
Most people only have a trashcan at their desks where as the recycling bins are usually elsewhere on the floor. And, if your office has composting (like the Pela HQ) then you're WAY ahead of the game.
Walk your recyclables from your desk to the recycling area. Don't be lazy and just throw away things that could be recycled.
If you're office doesn't offer compost, take your food scraps home in your lunch box at the end of the day so you can compost them! Looking for tips on composting even if you have an apartment with no balcony? Look no further!
6. keep it real:
Office celebrations? Use real plates and real forks. Most offices have an office kitchen with real items stocked in the cabinets.
If yours doesn't, talk to the office manager about changing it, and if they're still not on board, I'd keep a small plate and fork tucked away in my desk so you're ready for zero waste snackies.
7. start a green team:
You might have noticed a few times I suggested chatting with someone at work. Getting green initiatives implemented office-wide would be a HUGE win. If you're scared to take that plunge to check out our guide to Starting a Green Team at your work.
Big shout out to @canoecoffeeroasters and @centralkelowna for letting us film!
