Devon businesses working to go green

This year has been a time of reconsideration for many companies using catering supplies. Disposable cups and plastic straws have become known as something to be avoided, if possible.

Devon continues to be at the forefront of the movement, thanks to the Plastic Free North Devon campaign. An industry expert gives us the scoop on how local companies are doing amidst the eco movement.

Devon company, Spot-On-Supplies, have noticed that many companies have made the switch from plastic straws to paper. Roger Moore, managing director, tells us that finding a solution for the cup problem is more complicated, there being not one but four main options: porcelain, reusable takeway cups, single-use compostables and even sticking with traditional single-use cups but making sure to take part in a specialist recycling scheme.

‘In the spring it was compostable cups and straws that were all the rage. Compostable plant plastic straws were a brief trend before paper straws won favour. Now people are looking for reusable items such as reusable takeaway cups,’ he continues.

Porcelain mugs may work well in an office environment but what you need to consider is that washing up facilities need to exist and people need to be willing to do the work, or you can have a designated person or a complete system for the washing-up, depending on the size of the company.

Compostable paper cups have risen in popularity. Compostability is officially defined by the EU and some other international authorities and measured using a commercial compost, which speeds up the process. When compostable cups go to landfill, which is where they tend to end up right now, they will eventually break down but much slower than in a compost. If your waste management company take in food waste, they may allow compostable disposables as well. Make sure to check first, or they may not be able to process your waste.

Be careful with anything that says ‘biodegradable’ but not ‘compostable’. Biodegradability is not officially defined or measured, allowing companies to use the term in a misleading way.

Reusable takeway cups were the biggest trend in cups this summer. As with porcelain, washing up facilities need to exist. Reusable takeaway cups have the benefit that they are more portable and durable than porcelain. They can be given out to employees to use on and off duty or used as corporate gifts. Users tend to receive a 20-50 pence discount at cafes for using such cups, which is a nice incentive for people to carry the cups and advertise your company.

One more option would be to use the traditional paper cups lined with petroleum-based plastic, but make sure to take part in a recycling scheme. The root of the problem is not the cups themselves but how they are disposed of. If you take part in a recycling scheme and make sure that the paper comes from responsible forestry, you may solve the problem for your workplace.