Businesses wanting to eradicate single-use plastics are being invited to attend a live webinar hosted by sustainability website edie.net with waste management experts phs Group

The special one-off webinar, hosted on Thursday, January 17th at 2pm, will bring together a selection of leading retailers, manufacturers and economic experts presenting best practice case studies and insights into how businesses can achieve real breakthroughs when it comes to reducing single-use plastics from their operations, products and supply chains.

The panel of industry experts on the ‘Single-use plastics: How to lead a business transformation’ webinar include Fiona Ball, head of Sky Ocean Rescue, A Plastic Planet’s co-founder Sian Sutherland, Cranswick's site director of gourmet pastry, Andy Mayer, and phs supply chain partner Aquafil, an Italian company that gives new life to plastic waste. Maria Giovanna Sandrini of Aquafil will be discussing how small and simple supply chain decisions can deliver wider sustainability achievements.

“There is a huge onus on businesses to tackle single-use plastic and the resulting pollution,” commented John Morgan, head of floorcare at phs. “Of course a lot of the cause of plastic pollution is easy to identify in the form of packaging and consumables from bottles, cups and straws and measures are starting to be taken to reduce this. However, if businesses want to make a real difference, they need to start thinking about less obvious measures which can make a significant impact. It’s all about doing the right thing in a way that’s sustainable for the planet as well as your business.”

Maria Giovanna Sandrini of Aquafil continued: “The commitment to Research and Development, sustainability and excellence has allowed Aquafil to become a pioneer in innovation in the Nylon market, in a real way. These efforts culminated in 2011 with the launch of the ECONYL® Regeneration System, which enabled us to become a benchmark in the Circular Economy.
In 2013 Aquafil, together with a Dutch NGO and another company founded the Healthy Seas Initiative, through which ghost nets are recovered and then used together with other nylon waste into our process and become brand new ECONYL® regenerated. This incredible fibre is then supplied to phs to make floor mats. So everyone who steps into a business, retailer, office or school with a floor mat made with ECONYL® regenerated nylon is contributing to the clean-up of ghost fishing nets, which accounts for 46% of the ocean’s plastic waste pollution, simply by wiping their feet.”

Matt Mace, content editor edie, who is chairing the webinar, added: “This is exactly the sort of example that we want to explore. Taking on the challenge of plastic pollution isn’t an option anymore, it’s expected. Businesses need to review their entire operation to ensure that the ethos of sustainability is engrained into its core. It sounds like a big job but there are so many quick, cost-effective tweaks which will make you stand out as a business. We’ll be discussing how to avoid the unintended consequences of replacing single-use plastics, how to develop new partnerships to spur innovation and closing the loop in your supply chain to achieve a true business transformation. It’s a webinar which shouldn’t be missed.”

• The Single-use plastics: How to lead a business transformation webinar will be hosted at 2pm on Thursday, January 17th. For details and to register, visit: www.tinyurl.com/saveplastic

ENDS

For more information, contact:
Laura Windeatt, PR consultant for phs Group
E: laurawindeatt@phs.co.uk
T: 029 2080 9902
@laurawindeatt

About us
phs Group provides washroom, healthcare and floorcare hygiene services to 90,000 customers across 300,000 locations nationwide. Wherever we’re needed, we’re on your doorstep.

phs provides vital services to organisations whether it’s disposing of sanitary waste and nappies, installing hand dryers, soap dispensers and air purifiers or supplying floor mats to prevent slips, trips and falls. You’ll also find phs working within the healthcare industry disposing of clinical, pharmaceutical and dental waste. Under the phs umbrella, different companies service a range of needs from plant and tree hire, specialist cleaning, compliance, workwear, providing consumables and supplying crates and boxes.

What makes phs different? A commitment to do the right thing. phs diverts hygiene waste from landfill and uses it to create energy to power homes through its pioneering and patented LifeCycle process. It’s helping clean up the ocean from plastic by using ECONYL® regenerated nylon made from waste such as ghost nets to create floor mats. It has patented products which deliver significant water and cost savings. Its air purifiers help to improve employee wellbeing.
By using phs, organisations can make a difference to the environment and their bottom line as well as telling a good news story. It’s all about doing the right thing.