How small businesses can reduce plastic use and become more sustainable

As all the advice suggests, starting small can be the first step to kickstarting sustainability action. The global movement encourages individuals and businesses to limit single-use plastics, fostering long-term habits that benefit the planet.

Five top takeaways for businesses looking to reduce their plastic use:

1. Conduct a plastic audit to understand how and where your plastic use is coming from, which might include packaging, office supplies, cleaning bottles and promotional merchandise.
2. Engage employees and customers. Educate your team on the benefits of reducing plastic waste at work and home and encourage customers to help by offering incentives for bringing containers, bags or reusable cups.
3. Implement a recycling programme, making employees aware of what can be recycled and how to do it.
4. Switch to sustainable alternatives like biodegradable packaging, reusable items and eco-friendly office supplies, where possible.
5. Use digital solutions, going paperless with digital receipts, invoices and contracts.

A real-world example of success

We've helped several businesses in their ambitions to reduce plastic waste via free adviser support and online resources dedicated to net zero.

One of those businesses is PekoeTea in Edinburgh, a seller of fine loose tea, which opened its first tea bar in 2010. It sources the finest single-estate teas and creates unique hand-crafted blends at the tea factory in Leith.

The business is passionate about being more sustainable, from regular employee training to packaging. Tea packets are made from Natureflex, which is completely plastic-free and compostable. The tea bags are made from a cornstarch derivative called Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) meaning they are biodegradable and can be used in food waste bins.

The team was very aware that businesses are a source of plastic, waste, and carbon. PekoeTea’s ethics consist of building a business that provides customers with exciting tea experiences but doing this as transparently, fairly, and environmentally friendly as possible.

This is essential to their business. Tea is a plant that relies on a healthy climate and environment, which builds an awareness of the environment into everything the business does.

The business has found that switching to plastic-free materials makes its products more expensive to make, so it does need to charge more given the plastic-free alternatives. The team maintains an honesty with their customers at all times and find that they are typically supportive when they know the reasons behind the packaging choices. PekoeTea also offers many of its teas completely packaging free.

Customers appreciate transparency on this issue. If you are honest about the process, customers will support you through your journey of finding suitable alternatives.

Reducing plastic use is not only beneficial for the environment but can also enhance a small business's reputation and customer loyalty. The key is to start with small, manageable steps and build on them to create long-lasting, positive habits. As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, small businesses have the power to lead the way and inspire others to follow suit.