Plastic-Free Workplace: A Practical Guide to Making a Real Difference

1. The Business Case for Reducing Single-Use Plastics

Plastic waste is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s a business challenge. Europe generates nearly 60 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, yet only a third is recycled, while the rest is incinerated, landfilled, or lost in the environment. Companies are now facing increasing regulatory, financial, and reputational risks tied to plastic use.

New EU regulations, such as the Single-Use Plastics Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), require businesses to track and reduce their plastic consumption. Plastic pollution is also a key concern in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting, influencing investor decisions, customer trust, and supply chain requirements.

Beyond compliance, reducing plastic waste can offer cost savings. Switching to reusable systems and optimizing packaging lowers procurement costs over time and reduces waste management expenses. Additionally, customers are increasingly demanding sustainable alternatives, making plastic reduction a competitive advantage.

The BALTIPLAST Project supports businesses in transitioning toward smarter, circular solutions—helping them measure plastic use, implement reduction strategies, and align with sustainability goals. Taking action now means staying ahead of regulations, improving efficiency, and strengthening corporate responsibility in a changing business landscape.

2. Reducing Plastic Waste in the Baltic: The Interreg BALTIPLAST Initiative

Our Interreg BALTIPLAST project focuses on reducing single-use plastics, improving plastic packaging systems, and supporting innovative waste management at the municipal level. It addresses the lack of concrete solutions in many local authorities by offering “soft measures” — low-cost, easy-to-implement actions. The project provides a “Plastic Inventory Tool” to help businesses, schools, and municipalities assess plastic use and reduce waste. This tool was piloted across project countries to support quick and effective action against plastic pollution in the Baltic Sea region.

3. Unlocking the Power of the Plastic Inventory Tool: A Step Towards a Sustainable Future

The Plastic Inventory Tool is at the heart of our mission to reduce single-use plastics. Designed to help organizations—whether businesses, schools, or municipalities—gain a clear picture of their plastic consumption, this tool provides a structured approach to identifying reduction opportunities. By tracking plastic use, organizations can implement “soft measures”—simple, cost-effective changes that lead to significant waste reduction without requiring major investments.

How the Inventory Process Works

1. Assess Your Plastic Use – The tool helps you document your organization’s single-use plastic consumption, highlighting key areas where change is possible.
2. Identify Reduction Opportunities – Based on the assessment, the tool suggests practical, easy-to-implement solutions tailored to your needs.
3. Take Action – Implement recommended measures, track progress, and adjust strategies as needed.
4. Measure Your Impact – Compare your initial data with post-implementation results to see the tangible effects of your efforts.

The Plastic Inventory Tool is now available for download: Plastic Inventory Tool for Businesses

For additional guidance, refer to our stepwise guide on how to conduct the plastic inventory: Click here for the guide. 

Need Support? Join Our Coaching Sessions!

We offer monthly coaching sessions during 2025 to help organizations navigate the inventory process, share best practices, and answer questions. If you’d like to participate, sign up here: Sign me up!

For any questions, feel free to reach out to  our communication manager Andrea Dobri at andrea.dobri@haw-hamburg.de . Let’s work together to create a plastic-free future!

4. Real Impact in Action: Success Stories and Testimonials from Our Project

See how our work is creating real change! This section shares stories and feedback from our partners and stakeholders, showing the positive impact of our project. From new ideas to successful teamwork, these examples highlight how we’re helping make chemicals and nanomaterials safer and more sustainable.

Experience of Utena:

One company from Utena, working in water management, reduced plastic waste by 22%, largely by cutting back on plastic office supplies and switching to reusable bags, cups, and dishcloths in common areas.

Experience of Tallinn:

Five companies from Tallinn participated in the inventory process. While they are still in the inventory process, one thing is already clear: sorting has improved, contamination in plastic waste has dropped – and not only that! A decrease in biowaste and paper has also been noted!

Experiences from Kaunas:

One company from Kaunas focused on regional development successfully reduced its plastic waste by 53%. Rather than relying solely on alternatives, they recognized that a significant amount of plastic could be eliminated simply by avoiding unnecessary use. The data also showed that many products typically considered single-use were being reused. Breakdown of their reduction:

• Office supplies: Plastic waste was reduced by 28.4% by reusing certain items (e.g., A4 protective sheets, name tags) and switching to alternatives such as reusable pens and paper bags.
• Sanitary products: Waste was reduced by 16.8% by purchasing in bulk and opting for sustainable alternatives.

A company working in waste management identified that their main source of plastic consumption came from staff bringing in food packaging or ordering takeout. By encouraging employees to change their habits, they successfully reduced plastic consumption by 40%. Key measures included eliminating single-use cups in the office and reducing takeout packaging by promoting meal preparation at home. Breakdown of their reduction:

• Food and beverages: Waste decreased by 40% by reducing store-bought fast-food packaging and adopting alternatives such as reusable cups and personal food containers
• A food catering company successfully reduced 12% of single-use plastics (SUP), primarily by returning or reusing fruit and vegetable boxes from suppliers.

A decoration shop successfully reduced its plastic waste by 59%. Since most of their plastic waste came from food and beverage packaging, they achieved this reduction by minimizing store-bought fast-food consumption.

A translation agency successfully reduced its plastic waste by 20%. Since all of their plastic consumption came from food and beverages, this reduction was achieved by switching to reusable cups and bags instead of single-use plastic alternatives.

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