Bottles
Reusables
Provide filtered water or refill stations on-site for use with reusable cups or refillable water bottles
Remind employees to bring their reusable water bottles in employee handbooks, on message boards, and in newsletters.
For cafeterias: There are systems that offer on-site bottling for both still and sparkling water, allowing businesses to customize branded bottles to reuse on-site.
For cafeterias: Provide a drink machine or a soda fountain for non-water beverage refills alongside reusable cups, or serve drinks in reusable beverage containers. Purchase non-water beverages in bulk to avoid plastic packaging where possible.
Provide all staff with a branded reusable water bottle.
COVID Tip: Choose contactless refill systems designed for safety (touch-free sensors, sneeze guards, etc.).
COVID Tip: Choose bottles with non-toxic temporary labelling systems or similar options for staff to write their names on or otherwise identify their bottle.
Disposables
When reusables are not applicable, choose disposable options compatible with available waste management infrastructure.
Approved disposable materials
Materials may include: aluminum or glass.
Replace all plastic beverage bottles in vending machines with sustainably packaged options. Approved packaging items may include aluminum or glass.
Remove packaged water from vending machines if clean drinking water refill stations are available on-site alongside reusable cups.
CALL OUT:
Paper Cartons or Tetra Pak
These are some of the most prevalent alternatives to plastic beverage bottles on the market, but are not always a sustainable alternative. These are often composed of multiple layers of different materials “multi-layered packaging” that need to be treated in a specialized recycling facility and the infrastructure to properly recycle these materials is not available everywhere.
If sourcing carton or Tetra Pak items, confirm with your office building’s waste hauler that they can handle the specific product you are considering.