Earth Day 2018: Tips for Reducing Plastic Consumption

End Plastic Pollution

Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day, and this year’s theme is End Plastic Pollution.

“From poisoning and injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones, from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills, the exponential growth of plastics is now threatening the survival of our planet.” – EarthDay.org

Current State

• Since plastic was invented in 1907, 8.3 billion metric tons has been produces, of which 6.3 billion metric tons is waste.
• Only 9% of that waste has been recycled, and 12% has been incinerated. The remaining 79% has accumulated in landfills and the natural environment
• If current production and waste management trends continue, 12 billion metric tons of plastic waste will enter landfills or the environment by 2050, and there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish (by weight).

The Earth Day Network is encouraging everyone to reconsider their single-use plastic usage and consumption for the health of Earth.

What Can You Do?

• Pick up trash, especially plastic, whenever you see it.
• Participate in organized clean-up activities.
• Choose not to use or purchase single-use plastic such as silverware, drink cups, to-go containers, plastic bags, or food with extra packaging.
• Reuse plastic items as much as possible.
• Carefully sort and recycle your plastic items to ensure they don’t end up in the landfill.
• Avoid clothing made of nylon or polyester.
• Purchase eco-friendly storage containers and reduce or eliminate zip-top plastic bags.

Corporate Responsibility

At Tennant, we are on a journey to become a zero waste enterprise by applying the principles of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, along with the proven principles of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement. We’ve implemented and prioritized waste reduction and diversion tactics, in addition to collecting organics since 2014.

Additionally, we understand that being a good environmental steward is important to companies today, which is why we create environmentally preferable cleaning solutions that help protect our natural resources.

While we haven’t reached our zero waste goals yet, we are continuously improving to make a cleaner, safer, healthier world.

If you are interested in taking action individually, make a personal pledge here.