3 Steps to Remove Single Use Plastic From the Break Room

Implementing sustainability practices is undoubtedly a challenge, and kudos to you if you’re the company’s sustainability driver!

Imagine this: you’ve just left a meeting about sustainability to grab a bite to eat in the break room, and everyone is using Styrofoam plates and plastic utensils. The recycling bins sit empty. Isn’t that disheartening?

Break rooms are the source of many needless wastes, but how do you convince your fellow employees to change their ways?

Encourage employees to bring their lunch.

Going out to eat inevitably involves an enormous amount of single-use containers. When employees bring their lunch, you can cut down on the amount of waste produced by your facility.

Encourage employees to bring their lunch in reusable containers that they can use all week! Eating together in the break room fosters community and teamwork as well.

Make group lunches fun!

Provide washable plates and silverware in the lunchroom.

Most workplaces provide paper (or worse, Styrofoam) plates, plastic silverware, and plastic cups in the break room. Step away from this trend and provide your employees with washable dishware!

Invest in a few coffee mugs, plates, and a set of washable silverware. You will save money in the long run, and this will reduce your break room waste. 

Think about how much plastic and paper you could stop from entering the system!

Plus, employees will appreciate the tableware upgrade.

If you want to go all the way, consider gifting employees with reusable cups and travel silverware. Display your company logo, and you get free marketing, too.

People love to show off their swag!

Strategically place recycling bins in the break room and throughout your facility.

Think about it this way: if there is no recycling bin in sight, are you going to carry around your plastic silverware until you find one?

Recycle bins are helpful, but only if they are properly located. Place recycling bins throughout the break room and your facility.

If you want people to recycle, you must give them plenty of opportunities.