It’s not news to anyone that single-use products are not in the environment’s good books; of the 400 million tonnes of plastic produced every year, 40% is single-use and goes in the bin. Used. Just. Once. This is just part of the reason why the government has announced a wave of reform in the waste sector in an effort to greatly reduce the use of single-use products on the environment.

Businesses are forces for social change, and so in a world increasingly conscious of the origin, nature, and recyclability of the products we buy and use, you are expected to lead by example to help reduce our collective use of single-use products and find eco-friendly alternatives for your staff and customers. 

Investing in branded reusable coffee cups, water bottles, metal cutlery, and biodegradable packaging are just a few surefire eco-friendly ways you can reduce your carbon footprint, cut costs in the long run, and communicate something very important about your brand to your customers: “WE CARE!”. Items such as these stay in use for extended periods of time, so your business, too, will stay both moral and visible.

The natural extension of a customer seeing that a brand cares about the environment is the assumption that they care deeply about their customers, too. It is this caring, trusting relationship that naturally fosters customer loyalty, and this is worth 10x more than a single purchase in terms of repeat custom, recommendations, and also the free advertising that can come from the repeated use of eco-friendly promotional products such as tote bags, reusable coffee cups, water bottles, phone cases, mugs, stress balls, etc. 

Businesses need to chuck single-use products in favour of innovative, environmentally-friendly and reusable alternatives. Doing so is not just cost-effective, but gives a strong message about your morals not just as a business, but as people, and it is the trust and loyalty this engenders that leads to repeated custom and growth. Ready to get onboard? Update your business now and invest in some eco-friendly reusable products here.

Examples

The BBC programme ‘Blue Planet II’ recently highlighted the devastation caused by single-use plastics and, as a result, the BBC themselves have pledged to be completely free of single-use plastics by 2020.

The Open at Royal Portrush recently partnered with BlueWater for the ‘Open Water Initiative’ — to provide all their players, caddies, and staff with reusable water bottles and install free refill stations for attendees.

PELA, the creators of the world’s first and only 100% compostable phone case,ship sustainably using minimal packaging. In addition, 5% of all sales are donated to Save the Waves Coalition.