We live in a throwaway society, made possible by plastic. Unfortunately the same plastic we dispose of so readily can be around for a thousand years. One look toward Mount Trashmore makes it abundantly clear that throwing away disposable cups, cutlery and containers that will be around forever is not a sustainable solution.
Yet changing your lifestyle can be a tough ask.
Although encouraging a lifestyle change may be the most sustainable solution, biodegradeable and non-petroleum based disposable items allow a more environmentally friendly approach without forcing a lifestyle change.
Reliable Industries imports a range of such products, including Enviroware disposable biodegradeable containers and cutlery as well as Greenware, a range of plastic cups and containers manufactured from plant-derived polymers, not petroleum based plastics.
The products can replace everything from traditional Styrofoam containers to plastic water cups and even plastic knives, forks and spoons. Many of the latest green products also overcome the limits of the first generation of green products, which were often limited in terms of use.
The company also uses green cleaning products in many of its cleaning services, while many of the same products are available to consumers. Although some of these products are only available in larger containers, this not only makes financial sense, but using less packing material is also a way to be more green.
“It’s all those little things that make a difference,” says Sharon Smith of Reliable Industries.
For Sharon, the green message really hit home when she realised how many plastic cups the company was disposing of on a daily basis merely due to in-office use.
“We have a water cooler and we used to use non biodegradeable cups and we just said ‘We’re not going to use these any more, everybody needs to bring their own glass and just wash it’,” says Sharon.
Although there are many people who have taken up the challenge to become more environmentally friendly, Sharon admits it is not all plain sailing.
“We have a lot of people we are really into it, but then you have others who we still have to educate on it. It’s a learning process,” she says.
Many people believe that their impact on the environment is minimal when taken on a global scale and that any changes they make will not make a real difference.
“If everybody makes a small change, it adds up,” says Sharon. WH