Founded in 2008, the Zero Waste Week’s purpose is to help organisations, individuals and community to reduce landfill waste, save money and preserve resources. This special week will encourage you to make small changes that lead to more sustainable consumption patterns.
But it’s not only the team behind the Zero Waste Week trying to get more sustainable. Recently, Sky’s Ocean Ventures Fund invested in 10 UK businesses that are looking to make sure plastic isn’t part of our life anymore. The 10 companies have all been chosen because of their pioneering ideas in either material innovation, circular economy or responsible consumption. Here are a few examples.
Are you fed up of having to buy 5p bags every time you forget your carrier bag? Bagboard have a great solution, turning recycled paper bags into an ad. It’s basically an ad platform bringing people, brands and retailers together to remove and recycle 1 billion plastic bags from the environment.
This is pretty simple; all you need to do is go to one of the 2,000 independent shops across London and grab a paper bag. Then you download the Bagboard app and scan the ad on your bag. As a thank you for doing so, the company will then donate money to Plastic Bank to stop sending plastic into our oceans. You can even return the bag to one of the shops so they can recycle it and create a new bag from it.
Choose Water
Choose Water goal is to be an environmental and social enterprise. They have partnered with Water for Africa with the keen desire to form a long-lasting relationship by raising awareness and providing profit derived financial support. Water for Africa provide lifetime support for all water projects in Africa, through continuous development and training. They believe running water is a basic human right for nations to thrive, and therefore aim to provide each country with the adequate personnel, assistance and technology to succeed.
When a plastic bottle is thrown away – whether it ends up in landfill or our oceans – it will stay there for at least 450 years. Choose Water’s bottles are 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and are made entirely from sustainable naturally derived materials which will take less than a year to degrade. Every bottle is filled with the purest water you can find in the UK and will keep your water super fresh for a very long time.
Flexi Hex is an adaptable plastic-free packaging solution founded by Sam and Will Boex who recognised the impact that single use plastic was having on their local and the world’s marine environment. Their passion for surfing and their personal experience of transporting boards around the globe inspired them to create a sustainable packaging sleeve for the board sports industry.
Motivated by the challenge to create user friendly, well-engineered packaging using simple biodegradable materials, Flexi-Hex is designed as a reliable, adaptable alternative to single use plastics in packaging systems. The unique honeycomb design gives the packaging high compression resistance to unsure that every product will arrive at destination damage free.
There is no place on earth left without plastic! https://t.co/pGgTqPrY9Z
— Naturbeads (@Naturbeads) August 16, 2019
Naturbeads produces biodegradable cellulose microparticles to replace plastic microbeads. But what are microbeads you might want to ask? Fair question, microbeads are added as an exfoliating agent to cosmetics and personal care products, such as soap, facial scrub and toothpastes. When microbeads are washed down the drain, they subsequently pass unfiltered through sewage treatment plants and make their way into rivers and canals, resulting in plastic particle water pollution. Since 2017, countries are banning microbeads in all products, so new companies like Naturbeads are looking for ways to replace them.
Naturbeads are natural and biodegradable made from plants and are much better for the environment. Naturbeads’ biodegradable alternative to plastic microbeads could reduce microplastic pollution in our oceans, so that traces from sun cream, cosmetics and other personal care products don’t end up in the ocean. More to come.
Would you like to know more about our services and how we can help your sustainable business, brand or product? Get in touch today to set up a call with our team.
