Plastic Free July

It’s Plastic Free July, so for this week’s Connected Innovation, we thought it would be interesting to turn inwards for some self-reflection at Wazoku. Plastic Free July has become a powerful global movement which encourages people all over the world to take a stand against plastic pollution. Originating in Australia in 2011, this annual initiative has become an opportunity for people to contemplate the impact of plastic waste, as well as adjust their behaviours accordingly.?

But progress is not linear, and ‘going green’ is bound to come with as many struggles as it does with successes. Embracing a sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle is not without its difficulties, and it is important to dispel the notion that going green is an effortless endeavour. The reality is that it requires conscious effort, dedication, and sometimes sacrifices. With the commitment to enable transformative innovation, Wazoku asked some of its employees what their biggest struggles were with going green, in order to see how we can reframe these struggles into tangible, solvable, Challenges. Here’s what the team had to say.

Where there’s a will, but no way

“Any time you buy something for lunch out, there is always something non-recyclable! OR take-away boxes from restaurants themselves are always using plastic”

We’ve all heard of ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’, but how applicable is this to going green? One of the most persistent challenges communicated by the Wazoku team was the issue of going green outside of the confinements of your home, such as when going out to eat and ordering food to go. For example, in Berlin, takeout packaging (which is mostly single-use) makes up a significant 40% of waste from public spaces (C40 Knowledge, 2022). As one of the Wazoku team members mentioned,

“Society, more specifically retail and hospitality, is set up with less green options still as the default, so if you're in a hurry buying/ordering stuff, you are driven towards the less green option”

How can we bundle these aforementioned issues into a Challenge statement? We need to find an innovative solution for the prevalence of single-use packaging in the retail and hospitality industry.?

Limited accessibility?

Very much linked to the prior challenge, limited accessibility applies to a plethora of factors: money, resources, eco-friendly products etc. One of the employees mentioned that, whilst wanting to be able to ‘shop green’, their local supermarkets do not sell products with biodegradable/reusable/recyclable packing options and there are very limited fair trade options. Another response mentioned lack of convenience:??

“There is a large amount of waste coming from packaging when buying from a supermarket. Whilst I know there are other options to buy from your local grocer, it’s not always the best option regarding price or convenience”

How can we reframe these aforementioned issues into a Challenge statement? A solution needs to be found to a) minimise packaging waste from supermarkets, and b) increase the range of eco-friendly options/solutions in supermarkets.??

The predicament of recycling

Someone else from the team touched upon the confusions that can sometime arise when trying to recycle:?

“In terms of recycling, how to separate plastic materials properly, as not all of them can be recycled in the same way”

Admittedly, it has become increasingly confusing to know how to recycle which materials. Do milk cartons go in plastic or cardboard containers? What happens when packaging has a mix of materials? It is also not uncommon for Google to provide you a list of completely contradicting responses to the same question. Recycling is tricky, which is exacerbated by limited consumer awareness and conflicting information on the topic.

How can we bundle the issues of recycling into a Challenge statement? We need to find an innovative solution to enhance user awareness regarding recycling, in order to streamline its process and make it less of a ‘burden’.?

Where to go from here???

Acknowledging the challenges and complexities of going green allows us to approach the journey with realistic expectations and a deeper understanding of the commitment needed to make a meaningful impact on the environment. By recognising that sustainability requires effort, we can better appreciate the progress made and find inspiration in the collective efforts of individuals and communities working towards a greener future. As such, transforming these aforementioned struggles associated with going green into tangible Challenges presents an opportunity, as opposed to a roadblock, for innovation and progress. Do you have any solutions to tackle these Challenges??