News
Jul 1, 2021
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Going without plastic for a month might sound like an easy feat, but once you start realizing all the touch points plastic has in your life you might reconsider. That takeaway coffee cup you picked up on your walk to the park? The pre-packaged meat, fish and deli products sold on polystyrene trays? The bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner and bodywash you have lined up in your shower? These all contain plastic – and they have a devastating impact on both the environment, as well as our own health.
Sustainability at Jacobs means ensuring long-term business resilience and success, while positively contributing towards the economy, society and the environment. Aligned with Jacobs approach to sustainability, PlanBeyond, we’ve been challenging our employees to join the Plastic Free July movement year after year, and the results have been astonishing.
“Plastic Free July has had a positive impact on the awareness of our people when it comes to buying and consuming single-use plastic items. Although a difficult challenge, it is fantastic to see the level of interest and action in seeking plastic-free solutions in our offices and in our homes,” says Jacobs Vice President Global Sustainability Zoe Haseman. “These contributions add up and help in reducing our environmental impact on the planet, and to the betterment of our own human health. I encourage everyone to carry on these behaviors beyond the month of July.”
This year, wherever you are in the world, there are many ways to get involved in Plastic Free July. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at @JacobsConnects to take part in our fun daily quiz questions and see how you fair against our other followers!
Looking for some inspiration?
Below are our employees’ top ideas from previous years to inspire you to go plastic free year-round.
Bee open to alternatives
Sarah Clarke from the U.K. took to the bees for inspiration. Instead of using plastic wrap or cling film to cover food, she suggests using Beeswax Wraps. It’s a simple switch that anybody can do in their daily lives and is a compostable alternative to plastic wrap or cling film.
Plastic free at home
Magda Czapek and Anna Karpinska from Poland shared their top tips for reduced plastic use in the bathroom and kitchen. Even with long hair, they’re both shampoo bar converts and would never go back to using shampoo bottles. For removing make-up, Magda recommends reusable face pads. We all know zero waste shopping can be challenging, however after a little bit of exploring and researching, Anna has been able to replace plastic items with re-usable alternatives such as cotton bags and local zero waste shops.
It takes two to (do the plastic free) tango
It was his spouse who inspired Mazen Syed from Chicago, U.S. to go plastic free throughout July. Together, they buy grocery items in glass jars instead of plastic bottles, re-use plastic containers where there are no alternatives to eliminate them completely, and volunteer their time to pick up trash left in their nearby forests!
One bag, huge impact
Seeing an opportunity to pay it forward, Suneerbabu Mohammedali from Qatar provided his reusable Jacobs jute bag to the lunch delivery provider who agreed to use the new bag going forward and stop using the single-use plastic bags. This small gesture will remove the use of over 260 plastic bags a month.
Bin liners that make headlines
Talk about a newsworthy replacement for plastic! Laura Anastassiades from the U.K. shared an alternative to plastic bin bag liners. With a creative newspaper folding technique, you can create your own bin liners.
Thank you for joining us in challenging the way we use plastic today so that we can create a more sustainable tomorrow. To find out more about our PlanBeyond goals, visit http://www.jacobs.com/about/sustainability.