Engaging co-workers

What you can do

Get the people you work with involved with Plastic Free July.

How you can do it

Work can be a great place to get people involved in Plastic Free July. The people you see every day often become your tribe; people you workshop problems with and help keep on track during trying times. What better challenge to embrace together than reducing plastic pollution?

The best, simplest place to start is by telling people about Plastic Free July and inviting them to join the challenge with you. You don’t have to send an all staff email; just start small with a few co-workers and watch it build from there.

Many workplaces begin by having a plastic free morning tea or bake-off, to raise awareness and start the conversation. Food is a fantastic way to draw a community together, and help you get the ball rolling.

When beginning these conversations around plastic pollution, keep it positive. Focus on the solutions and not on the problems – people are much happier to join in that way. You can also check out our case studies for more in-depth information on how others have succeeded in getting their workplaces to reduce single-use plastics.

Taking the next steps

Once a few colleagues have become engaged, you may be able to build on that momentum. You can get more people on board by sharing “easy wins” that they can incorporate, such as bringing a reusable coffee cup to the cafe each morning and transporting their lunch in reusable containers rather than plastic wrap.

You can also reach out to local not for profits who are tackling the issue of plastic pollution, and invite them to share their story with your workplace. This can be an inspiring and engaging way of learning more about the problem and the solutions.

DIY Come and Try workshops can also be a lot of fun. By hosting a class on how to make wax wraps, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc., people can feel inspired to buy less and DIY more.

The impact

• Many of your co-workers will bring these new skills home, encouraging friends and family members to get on board. That means impacts will reach beyond the office.
• When workers reduce their own plastics at work, it’s a small step to start looking at alternatives to the plastics that the organisation buys. For example, your company may be able to eliminate disposable cups, avoid individually wrapped mints, and provide cups and containers to workers or clients.