In 2022, through our Lyreco Goodness initiative, we introduced thousands of sustainable products into our range to help our customers ‘Go-Green’. Within our new sustainable product range we also now offer curated ‘zero-plastic’ products to enable our customers to do their part in reducing the consumption of disposable plastic products.

Plastic Facts

At Lyreco, we’ve made it easier than ever for our customers to shop responsibly.

Simply click the ‘Go-Green’ button during the checkout process and you will be presented with an option to convert products in your order to our ‘Great for the Planet / Great for People’ alternatives.

We range thousands of sustainable products and over 800 of those are compostable or biodegradable so you’ll have plenty to choose from.

Along with millions of people in the UK and globally, Lyreco is concerned with the amount of single-use plastic that people use to then be disposed of. Lyreco aims to supply our customers with products that are as sustainable and ethically sourced as possible and this includes offering solutions that eliminate single-use plastic or plastic altogether. 

We have some strong commitments to our customers around Circular Economy including:

• By 2025, Lyreco will propose a ‘recycle-ready’ alternative for any product the customer wishes to purchase; 

• By 2025, Lyreco will reduce packaging use and ban non-recyclable plastic packaging for any product.

Our commitments are also inward-facing, where we aim to eliminate single-use plastic throughout our business operations. This includes:

• Moving from disposable plastic cutlery and food containers to compostable cutlery and takeaway containers.

• Removing plastic cups (water and coffee takeaway cups). We now provide reusable cups to all employees and are in the process of giving all new employees reusable water bottles in their new starter packs.

• Our internal catering has stopped using plastic trays and where possible aim to avoid using plastic film during hospitality events.

• We do not use any internal plastic packaging, such as polystyrene in our delivery packaging.

• We have reduced the use of plastic tape on the packaging of products for delivery. 

As part of this work, Lyreco also sits on Telford and Wrekin’s Sustainability group, where our Head Office is based. We aim to support the council and are members of the group on a number of sustainability initiatives. This includes supporting the towns gaining Plastic Free Community Status

In July 2019, the Telford and Wrekin Council made a commitment to reduce single-use plastic in response to the UK government's target of “achieving zero avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042".  These commitments include:

• Remove single-use plastics from the Council’s operations and activities, replacing them with sustainable alternatives by 2023;

• Continue to support national plastic-free campaigns;

• Develop an action plan that sets out how the Council will reduce its own use of single-use plastic, how the Council will encourage and promote plastic-free initiatives borough-wide

• Establish a community group to help achieve our aspiration for the borough to become a certified Plastic Free Community.

Single-use plastics can include any disposable plastic item which is designed to be used only once e.g. plastic bags, disposable utensils, wet wipes, razor blades, food wrappers and plastic lids.  Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today. The UK estimates that there are currently more than 150 million tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans, and 100,000 sea mammals and 1 million birds die from eating or becoming tangled in plastic waste each year.  320,000,000 tonnes of plastic were generated globally in 2016.  This is set to double by 2034.

The Council has set up and works collaboratively with the Plastic Free Taskforce, made up of a wide range of local organisations, parish and town councils and schools to ensure the impact is borough-wide.  Lyreco are proud to be a member of this task force and aims to tackle this issue with our key stakeholders in the local community. 

References:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8515/#:~:text=The%20scale%20of%20plastic%20in,half%20of%20which%20is%20packaging.

https://www.plasticseurope.org/en/resources/market-data 

https://www.recoup.org/p/380/uk-household-plastics-collection-survey-2020

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastics-facts-infographics-ocean-pollution