Plastic Free

GIVE NO LOVE TO LITTER!

This July (and beyond), Plastic Free July Aotearoa is asking Kiwis to Give No Love to Litter by sharing photos of reusable service ware at their favourite hospitality establishments.

Plastic Free July is a global movement that has helped millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution and is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2017. From humble beginnings, the award-winning Plastic Free July campaign is the result of years of hard work.

The movement was started by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) and a small team in local government in Western Australia and is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world. Millions of people across the globe take part every year, with many committing to reducing plastic pollution far beyond the month of July.

PLASTIC FREE JULY AOTEAROA 2021

UYO (Use Your Own) has collaborated with Waste Minz and Plastic Free July Aotearoa this year on a campaign initiative that is simple, easy to undertake but with wide reaching impact, to normalise reuse and address throwaway culture.

The #nolovetolitter campaign is about collaborative action that can be marketed in just a few minutes, plus Kiwis can do it from the sofa. Establishments can find posters and social media on the UYO website that they can take or adapt as their own. Individuals, brands, companies, and organisations can make a social media pledge throughout July, something that Instagram and Facebook followers can engage with, react to, applaud, and be influenced by.

The action is about NOT posting and sharing images of single use coffee and cold drinks cups on your social media. You can use the pledge: This July, we pledge to give #nolovetolitter and tag @plasticfreejulyaotearoa, and @uyo.nz so they and everyone can share your commitment.

THE TOP FIVE THINGS HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES CAN DO TO GO PLASTIC-FREE:

1.Evaluate – see what plastics you are using, look in the kitchen, do a bin audit and look at all supplies. 2.Take the Plastic Free

July challenge and choose one (or more) single-use plastics your business can refuse or switch out to reusables. It’s a journey so better to take one step at a time. 3.Once you have decided, use the waste hierarchy to explore alternatives – look for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, in

that order. Some businesses start with eliminating single-serve items such as sauce sachets and sugar. Others switch to straws on request and replace plastic straws with reusables or paper straws. For the waste that can’t be avoided check out options in your area for alternatives to landfill including recycling and composting of organics and set up your in-kitchen bins for separation. If there is lots of food waste, look at portion sizes and ways to use every part of ingredients. 4.Look for reusable alternatives – including supplies that can be refilled such as vats of milk, produce in reusable tubs that can be cleaned and returned, use stainless steel bain-marie containers and lids instead of plastic containers and plastic film wrap. 5.Share what you are doing – with staff and customers through conversations, signage and social media. Explain that you are doing it for the environment and share with Plastic Free July.

ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES

A simple way that restaurants and cafe´s can reduce their plastic use and make their plastic action count is by swapping often single-use plastic items for eco-friendly alternatives.

BIOPAK BIODEGRADABLE BIN LINER

Biopak’s BioPlastic bin liners are a great start to becoming eco-friendly in your establishment. Certified for both home and commercial composting, these bin liners are made from Ecopond bioplastic – a synthetic biodegradable bioplastic combined with plant starch. These bin liners are accepted by any organic waste collection service, but if they do end up in the environment, they will biodegrade faster than conventional plaster liners. As the hospitality industry one of the biggest contributors to waste in NZ, making this small change will have a big impact.

CUSTOM JADCUP ECO COFFEE CUPS

Jadcup designs, manufactures and supplies world-class paper cups that are totally customisable. Elevate your brand with custom designed sustainable, compostable coffee cups. Jadcup is also 100 percent New Zealand owned and operated, so you can support our national economy.

COMPOSTABLE GLOVES

Foodservice requires the strictest hygiene standards and procedures to maintain health and safety standards. Nearly every staff member in the kitchen is required to wear gloves, either when preparing food or cleaning, and used gloves go straight in the bin. These gloves are food safe and certified biodegradable and compostable. They are a great option for food-service businesses looking to reduce plastic waste.

DETPAK WOODEN CUTLERY

The perfect alternative to disposable plastic cutlery, the wooden cutlery pack features a fork, knife, and napkin, and is pre-packed for both staff and customer convenience. Certified for commercial composting, the wooden cutlery range is made from 100 percent sustainably sourced Birchwood and is coated with food-safe, non-toxic plantbased carnauba wax.

COMPOSTABLE CARTON

You eat with your eyes, as the saying goes, so a compostable takeaway container with a ‘window’ allows customers to not only see what they’re buying, but also feel good about what their purchase comes in. These preconstructed boxes are made of card and lined with a plant-based plastic. They are easy to close and seal, and are resistant to oils, sauces, and leaks. The ‘window’ is also made of PLA, so all parts are commercially compostable.