10 June 2020

We can all reduce waste by being more thoughtful about the products we buy as well as how we consume and dispose of them. Over time, small changes can have a positive impact on the environment and help us save money. Start now by taking these simple steps

2:00 min

1 Meal planning

Planning ahead will save a lot of food going to waste in the long run, as well as money. Plan breakfast, lunch and dinner weekly and buy everything in advance so you have exactly what you need and no more. If you want to bring some organisation and structure to your meals, you can create a stylish chalkboard meal planner for your home.

2 Invest in reusable items

Large reusable canvas shopping bags are a great way to avoid throwing away lots of single-use plastic disposable ones. Keeping a stash of extra bags right by your front door or in your work locker is an easy way to make sure you don’t forget them.

3 Choose products with minimal packaging

Shop wisely and choose foods with little or no packaging such as fruit and vegetables. For non-perishable items, buy things in bulk to save buying individually packaged smaller versions of the same products e.g. cleaning products, toilet paper, cereal, etc.

4 Purchase reusable water bottles and avoid bottled water

 

Plastic water bottles generate a huge amount of waste. Purchasing a large reusable water bottle or flask is a much eco-friendlier choice and you can keep refilling it throughout the day to stay hydrated. At UniCredit, we are distributing bottles and installing water dispensers in our premises across the Group. The plan is to complete the roll-out in the upcoming months.

5 If you can’t avoid waste, learn to recycle

Don’t be intimidated by the complicated symbols and sorting rules. Navigating the recycling system is actually quite simple once you do a little research. Since recycling standards vary from place to place, find out what the specific rules for your area are. This will prevent excess waste from heading to landfill. In the office it will also reduce the amount of time dedicated to waste management.