How we reduced the number of plastic bags we use by 3.5 MILLION a year

Our warehouse and distribution team have recently come up with a simple, innovative and highly effective method for dramatically reducing packaging materials. The result? We’ve managed to reduce the number of plastic bags used in our packaging by an astonishing 3.5 million per year.

This is going to help reduce landfill inputs hugely, helping to reduce our businesses overall impact on the environment.

Plastic bags have become an issue that has gained a lot of attention in the media recently. Supermarkets are trying to crack down on plastic bag usage by charging for bags and encouraging re-use of plastic bags with incentives.

So how did we do it?

Our newly appointed logistics manager, Darren Liffen, came into the business with fresh ideas and an environmentally minded outlook. He saw our packaging and realized it could be possible to simply remove a large amount of air-filled plastic bags from the boxes. After testing proved that the plastic bags were in fact not essential in every box, the bags were removed from most of our out-going boxes.

The simple innovation has proven to be a massive success, not only helping reduce the number of plastic bags in circulation, but also saving us money.

Every year The Consortium despatches millions of pieces of equipment to schools, care homes and early years settings all over the country. But the amount of waste our deliveries created conflicted with our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, so Darren came up with his simple, yet effective solution.

“In the past when someone ordered items, like dusters or rubber gloves, we’d pack it up and despatch it in our standard way which included using plastic void fill to secure the product within the box,” he said.

“If there was space within the box, we’d just pad it out with void-fill, which is basically clear plastic bags full of air.”

“However it was apparent to me that a large percentage of our product range was entirely unlikely to get damaged during transit even if we consciously stopped using void fill for those particular products”

“Also we were aware that our customers do not like to have the problem of disposing of waste generated by excessive packaging materials, so a selective approach to usage seemed a sensible approach.”

Darren has reported that the scheme had been warmly embraced by the company and its many customers.

How can this help you?

Taking a fresh look at the processes you take for granted as the norm, can help you uncover simple innovations that can have a dramatic positive impact. What do you do everyday that impacts on the environment? Could you make a minor change to that process, which would help reduce its impact on the environment?

Don’t be afraid to innovate. Remember to test your new ideas carefully to make sure there are no adverse effects. Don’t be afraid of failure. Even small changes can make big differences.

Maybe you could make a big difference by making a brave move, like Darren did.

Had any bright ideas recently?

Let us know in the comments.