Page 16 - Logistics News June 2019

Environment

Tackling

avoidable

single-use

plastic

By Ben Messenger, courtesy Waste
Management World

Canary Wharf secured Plastic Free Communities status on World Environment Day (5 June).

LONDON-BASED property fi rm Canary Wharf raise awareness.
Group was awarded Plastic Free Communities Canary Wharf Group also piloted the HELPFUL
status by marine conservation charity Surfers app, designed to help anyone at Canary Wharf to
against Sewage in recognition of its work to correctly recycle their waste, make the switch to
reduce single-use plastic at Canary Wharf. Canary reusable products to avoid single-use plastic and
Wharf is the fi rst district in London to achieve the earn rewards at the same time.
status and is claimed to be the world’s fi rst Plastic “This is the world’s fi rst commercial centre to
Free Commercial Centre to be recognised by achieve our status, demonstrating their leadership,
Surfers against Sewage. commitment and ongoing journey to reduce
In June 2018, Canary Wharf Group launched the use of avoidable single-use plastics across
the Breaking the Plastic Habit Programme the estate,” said Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers
to remove single-use plastic from the estate. Against Sewage.
Highlights include: “London is an ocean city, with the tidal Thames
• Over 1.2 million items of avoidable single-use running through its heart, and Surfers Against
plastic have been eliminated. Sewage is delighted to see ocean activism taking
• Over 4 million coff ee cups have been recycled. hold within such a globally renowned business
• Removal of over 1 million plastic straws, with 83 centre overlooking this iconic river,” he continued.
retailers on the estate removing plastic straws “Tackling plastic pollution is vital from source
entirely. to sea and business leadership will help us all
• Over 100,000 water bottles have been reused reinvent our relationship with plastic,” concluded
across seven water refi ll stations. Tagholm.
• Over 19,000 bottles recycled using the UK’s fi rst Sir George Iacobescu, Chairman and Chief
deposit Return Vending machine, rewarding Executive, Canary Wharf Group, added, “Canary
users for recycling their plastic bottles. Wharf’s Breaking the Plastic Habit programme
• A new Sea Bin positioned in the middle dock is part of our long-term commitment to deliver
collects 30kg of plastic a month from the a future that’s truly sustainable at Canary Wharf.
waterways at Canary Wharf. Our programme is designed to act as a blueprint
To reduce its plastic footprint and secure this for behavioural change and prompt wider action
accreditation, Canary Wharf Group committed to towards a single-use plastic-free future. It is our
achieve targets across fi ve key areas set out by hope that this forms part of Canary Wharf’s
Surfers Against Sewage. These elements included legacy for a sustainable city in which we transform
taking action with businesses and retailers to our community and spark a wider, long-term
remove single-use plastic, forging links with local change for the better; not just for now, but for
communities and schools, and holding events to future generations.” •

14 June 2019 | Logistics News