Searious Business

📢 Exciting July Updates on: ➡️ #PlasticFree Hotels in Zimbabwe ➡️ Sustainable Financing in #Vanuatu ➡️ Promoting #SustainableTourism ➡️ #GlobalTourismPlasticsInitiative ➡️ #ReusablePackaging Profit Drivers ➡️ Defining Country Potential for #ReuseSystems Check out what our team has been up to in our monthly recap! 👉🏻 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eaeNRKNt

♻️ La Colaboración Internacional para poner Fin a la Contaminación por Plásticos (EPPIC), realizó su lanzamiento en San José, Costa Rica, en el marco de un esfuerzo global que se implementará en Centroamérica, el sudeste asiático y África subsahariana, con apoyo del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos. Con el objetivo de reducir significativamente el impacto ambiental del uso del plástico, EPPIC se ejecutará bajo el liderazgo de la #UICN y en alianza con The Ocean Foundation, Searious Business y The Aspen Institute. El evento contó con la participación del oficial regional de Ambiente de la Embajada de Estados Unidos en Costa Rica, Iván Ríos, y del asesor del viceministro de Energía, del Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE), Gobierno de Costa Rica, Pablo Bermúdez. Conoce más: https://lnkd.in/gpBWaiKQ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ♻️ The End Plastic Pollution International Collaboration (EPPIC) held its first country workshop in San José, Costa Rica, in a global effort that will be implemented in Central America, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, with support from the United States Department of State. Aimed at significantly reducing the environmental impact of plastic use, EPPIC will be implemented under the leadership of #IUCN and in partnership with the The Ocean Foundation, Searious Business and The Aspen Institute. The event took place with the participation and remarks from the Regional Environmental Officer of the US Embassy in Costa Rica, Iván Ríos, and the advisor to the Vice Minister of Energy of the Ministery of Environment and Energy, Pablo Bermúdez. Know more: https://lnkd.in/gmYHQvWN #eppic_plastics #BeatPlasticPollution #closetheplastictap

Isn’t it heartbreaking to see such a beautiful place overwhelmed by crowds? More visitors often means more waste. But your business can be part of the solution. Yesterday was #WorldConservationOfNatureDay — a time to think about how we can protect our planet's natural beauty. To preserve our environment and allow people to enjoy it responsibly, sustainable tourism is key. Take Zimbabwe, for example. Tourism is the country’s third-largest industry, attracting over 2.5 million visitors each year. This influx brings a lot of single-use plastics, like food containers, straws, and bags. According to the Institute of Environmental Studies, tourism contributes up to 18% of all plastic waste. These plastics can block storm drains, poison water supplies, and harm wildlife. To tackle these challenges, Searious Business has collaborated with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Africa Institute to train hotels on reducing single-use plastics and improving waste management. This training is part of a broader project led by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry, with support from international funds. Hotels received tools and guidance to track their plastic use and develop plans for a future free from plastic waste. Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/euMyb_Ku By clicking on the link, your business can join an extremely impactful initiative: the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (One Planet network - 10YFP). This program provides tourism companies, destinations, associations, and NGOs with the chance to become global leaders in tackling the root causes of plastic pollution. Why Join? • Eliminate: Remove all problematic and unnecessary plastic items from your operations. • Innovate: Transition to plastics that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable. • Circulate: Keep plastic in the economy by ensuring it is reused and recycled, rather than ending up in the environment. Learn more about how you can help by visiting the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. Be part of the solution. Join today!👇 https://lnkd.in/euA8QCS9 #SustainableTourism #EcoFriendlyTravel #ZeroPlastic #GoCircular

In 2018, Vanuatu took a bold step to reduce waste and pollution by banning several single-use plastics including plastic shopping bags, polystyrene takeaway boxes and straws. In 2020, the ban was expanded to include cutlery, plates and artificial flowers. The ban has had significant impact. Banned items used to make up 35% of waste, and they now represent less than 2%. Next up, we’re excited to collaborate on a Product Stewardship Scheme (PSS) to manage beverage containers sustainably. Container Deposit Scheme provide essential financing and infrastructure to collect and process these recyclable materials, preventing environmental leakage, landfilling or incineration, and creating new jobs at the same time. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gMEMmt5M #Vanuatu #ProductStewardshipSchemes #ContainerDepositLegislation #EPR #plasticwaste

Amidst all the news yesterday surrounding President Joe Biden stepping down from the presidential election, you might have missed the US administration sending an important message to the world with the release of their report formally acknowledging the severity of the plastic pollution crisis and the scale of the response needed to confront it. Ahead of the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations, the report uses quite revolutionary language demonstrating the US' commitment to reducing the global production and consumption of plastic, detailing the current and planned actions including the End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative #EPPIC_Plastics. Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities, the Federal government discusses the entire lifecycle of plastic – from reducing virgin petrochemical plastic production, enabling reusable packaging systems, sustainable design, managing the capture of waste and the need for extended producer responsibility to incentivise companies to keep materials in the system and out of the environment. As part of an existing executive order, the commitments call for the phase-out of all single-use plastic products across US federal government agencies by 2035, and a phase-out of all single-use plastic products in food service, packaging, and events by 2027 - encouraging news for #reuse! Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/etcuwKy5 #beatplasticpollution #closetheplastictap #globalplastictreaty #INC5 #reusablepackaging

Tourist trash or trashy tourists? How many of us are on holiday at the moment? Not us, we're staring out the window at a very rainy Dutch morning - but soon! Counting the days. 📆 When we (the royal we) go on holiday, we generate twice as much plastic waste than we do at home. This is because, firstly, we eat and drink on the move more, and disposable becomes even more convenient with limited choice to do otherwise. Secondly, many tourist destinations lack the recycling infrastructure that we might have at home, leading to more waste ending up in landfills or, worse, in the ocean, and thirdly, the sheer volume of tourists that arrive in a short season can overwhelm local waste management systems. To help tour operators, cruise ships and hotels to reduce their plastic waste and assist their guests in doing the same, we developed the Zero Plastic Waste Free Tourism Toolkits. The kits provide practical business suggestions for hygienic and convenient zero-plastic waste strategies, including clear cost-benefit analysis comparisons, returns on investment, and waste and carbon footprint savings. Free to download here: https://lnkd.in/ebbAEegY If you work in hospitality or the tourism sector, give the ideas a go and protect your beautiful destination for generations to come. And send us a postcard! #sustainabletourism #hotels #tourism #zeroplasticwaste #businesscase

4,000,000 tons. That's the massive quantity of packaging waste generated annually by convenient, healthy ready-meals that customers love. It’s time to shift our mentality: packaging isn’t trash. It’s an asset, right? Smart solutions come from simplicity, and switching to paper is a false solution. Reuse eliminates waste. HOW? Customers grab their ready meals, pay a small deposit on the packaging, enjoy their meal, and return the reusable packaging, receiving their deposit back. Yes, it’s that easy. It’s straightforward, efficient, and reduces waste. But it’s not just about sustainability; it’s a smart choice that cuts costs and boosts customer engagement and loyalty. Upcoming legislation will require supermarkets to devote floor space to refill, as well as lower their plastic and carbon footprint. Reuse fits the brief! Leading supermarkets are already implementing these systems with great success. While the solution is simple, we understand it can be tricky to implement, but we are here to help. To find out how, feel free to download our one-pager, you are just one click away: https://lnkd.in/dN-TCZvN Questions or ideas? Drop us a DM or comment below. Let’s work together to eliminate packaging waste! 🌊 #CircularEconomy #PackagingInnovation #ReusablePackaging #ReuseAddsUp #PlasticPollution

News from June includes: 💰Funding released for upstream projects in Latin America, 🔁Reverse Logistics, 🏪SMEs, 🥗Reuse, 🙈mud run pics. See what the team have been up to in our monthly recap. 10 points to the first person to spot the Freudian slip 😏 https://lnkd.in/e3wg3P4S #RFP #callforproposals #reuse #upstreamsolutions #reverselogistics #circulareconomy #reusablepackaging #ReuseAddsUp #wastetoproduct #recycling #sustainability #marketing #SME #WorldOceanDay #plastichandprint vs #plasticfootprint

How will the plastic treaty affect SMEs? What if you're a small company making plastic straws, or a restaurant that has to move to reuse, or an informal waste collector whose whole income comes from plastic waste? Rules and measures brought in by the #GlobalPlasticTreaty are undoubtedly going to pose some unique challenges to companies already struggling with: 💰 cashflow - financial burden of buying new machinery and new materials 🧑🤝🧑personnel shortages - extra time and staff needed for new practices 🤼 competitive markets - larger companies have more market power 👩🏫access to legal and technical knowledge - complexity of new rules difficult to navigate with limited legal and administrative resources. But SME's are also in a unique position to benefit from some of the opportunities that the new rules could bring: 🧘♀️Flexibility - small size can mean more adaptability to pivot 👩🔬Innovative - new companies can lead with new materials and practices 🛍️Access to new markets - SMEs can tap into new markets 💚Green jobs - new jobs created and better working conditions The Global Plastic Treaty presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for SMEs. While there are hurdles to overcome, such as financial and regulatory pressures, the treaty also opens doors for innovation, market expansion, and leadership in sustainability. On #WorldMSMEDay, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have released this fabulous report to delve into the unique set of challenges and opportunities micro, small and medium enterprises face as the Treaty opens doors for innovation, market expansion, and leadership in sustainability. Read below: https://lnkd.in/ernw28K8 #SME #opportunity #plastic

Today, on the #DayoftheSeafarer, we celebrate the invaluable contributions of seafarers to global trade and the economy. The theme for 2024 is safety at sea, looking at seafarers' contribution to making the maritime sector a safer workplace. One of these factors is how they interact with their fishing gear which bring us to the pressing issue of marine pollution, particularly from lost fishing nets and gear. 📢At Searious Business, we’re committed to safeguarding our ocean, and on this significant day, we reaffirm our dedication to implementing extended producer responsibility for fishing gear. EPR would help to prevent ghost fishing and protect marine life by ensuring responsible end-of-life management for fishing equipment. By collaborating with industry stakeholders, we can develop systems that not only incentivize the recovery and recycling of fishing gear but also promote innovation in sustainable gear design. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eAxVjEKn If you work in the fishing industry, how are you working to make sure your workplace 🌊 stays safe for humans and sea life 🦀. Post a pic! #DayOfTheSeafarer #MarinePollution #EPR #SafetyTipsAtSea