Laundry liquids and single use plastics

Following on from an article I read regarding single use plastic in the laundry sector, it got me thinking about other types of single use plastics and the ways in which these items are dealt with.

The article refers to smaller companies that may have issues with single use plastics.

When smaller drums are delivered by courier, it is not cost effective for the company to arrange collection of the drums.  As some of the smaller operators do not have space to store these drums, inevitably they head to landfill.

We supply laundry liquid for dosing systems and part of our service is to ensure we collect the empty drums and then return them to our supplier. We have found that this recycling system is beneficial to all and our customers appreciate the extra steps we take.

Inevitably, this leads on to single use plastics in other sectors. We know about the straw swap but what about cups and food packaging? Using a product that is recyclable such as a plastic cup can spark a debate about whether the cup is a good choice or not.  Compostable or biodegradable packaging may seem the more obvious choice but for the most part, at least at the moment, these have to be disposed of correctly in specialised facilities. It is always best to check with your waste collection service about what they will collect.

So where do you go from here?

That depends on you and your business. If you use a product made from sustainable materials, then that is one choice you have made. 

What waste options are available to you?

If you have a good recycling collection service, then choosing a product made from sustainable and recycled materials that can then be recycled would probably be your better choice. However, if you prefer to use products made from plant based materials then the compostable option might be for you. Another option available is packaging that can be disposed of with your food waste, such as Sugarcane based products. There is a lot of choice and information out there, we are happy to advise as much as we can. The hope is that as more and more businesses go towards using compostable materials then more composting facilities will become available in the future.