During the #ZeroWasteChallenge, we tried to avoid waste for a week. We paid attention to different waste streams, such as paper, plastic and VGF waste. From our daily waste labs, we gathered valuable insights and results. Curious about what we learned and what results we achieved? Then read this blog.
Learnings
Many learnings we gained during the #ZeroWasteChallenge we implemented right away. We also share ideas we want to work on in the future.
Day 1
On the first day of the challenge, we paid attention to our paper. To promote paper recycling, we placed more paper bins. But what do we do with confidential paper? We made sure it is not offered and destroyed as an archive stream but safely offered for recycling.
Furthermore, we plan to implement even more solutions. These include bio-bags to handle our organic waste and a special PD bin to separate plastic waste. We also want to reduce the number of bins in the office to reduce waste. So plenty of ideas!
Day 2
On day two of our #ZeroWasteChallenge, we welcomed a new friend to the cafeteria: the "worm buffet. A GFT waste bin for our worms that has already processed 3.5 kilos on the first day! We also faced the coffee cup challenge. A mountain of disposable cups sat among our trash, but we were ready to take on the challenge.
And then there were the tea bags. Despite our enthusiasm, these little culprits ended up among the garbage instead of with the waste paper. Solution: a clear sign above the waste bins in the cafeteria with instructions on what belongs where. It was a day full of fun challenges and smart solutions; on to day 3!
Day 3
The third day of the #ZeroWasteChallenge focused on plastic and provided valuable learnings. What do we do with plastic lunch containers? We encourage our colleagues to replace these plastic lunch containers with reusable lunch boxes. The result? Waste was reduced in our office. We also organize regular joint lunch shopping to further reduce the amount of plastic lunch packaging. Together, we are reducing plastic packaging in the office.
Day 4
On Day 4, we got to work with our coffee grounds. Did you know that you can grow delicious oyster mushrooms from it? That's exactly what we did! It's a tasty way to use waste differently. In addition, we no longer serve napkins by default with appetizers or lunch, although they are still available if needed.
Onze eigen gekweekte oesterzwammen
What are we going to do next?
We are full of ideas to reduce and prevent even more waste. For example, we are thinking of installing washable towel rolls in the restrooms to eliminate waste from disposable hand towels while maintaining hygiene. In addition, we want to switch from individually packaged dishwashing cubes to dishwashing powder and exchange sugar sachets for sugar cubes.
Last days we implemented beautiful solutions, but we are not done yet. Every day offers new opportunities to improve, to learn more, and to become even greener!
Results in numbers
In addition to the learnings, we also looked at the hard numbers. For exactly how much waste did we produce? And did we actually manage to reduce our waste in the office?
On the first day of the #ZeroWasteChallenge, we started with 11,278 grams of waste. We generated 14,925 grams of waste on the second day, which is a big increase from the first day. This is because there were more colleagues in the office than the previous day. Fortunately, the amount of waste decreased significantly on the third day to 4305 grams. This positive trend continues: the amount of waste dropped further to 1,855 grams. On the last day of the challenge, we reduced waste to just 782 grams.
The overall result? In five days we reduced our waste by 93%! This is an impressive achievement with which we took the first steps towards becoming a zero waste organization.
Do you also want to get started with zero waste?
Start by organizing a #ZeroWasteChallenge for your company. By avoiding waste, you and your colleagues will discover new solutions and contribute to awareness and sustainable waste ambitions. With the help of our handy kit, you can get started in no time.
