July is plastic free month, so are you up to the challenge of ditching the plastic for a couple of weeks? Maybe it's not as tricky as it sounds. Our very own marketing intern, Ellie Welsh, is taking on the challenge and will be sharing her plastic -free diary at the end of the month.

Plastic-free challenge

If you'd like to join the cause and help beat plastic pollution, here are a few hints and tips that can help you as an individual and as a business.

How to use less plastic as a business:

• Eliminate single-use plastic bags and straws

• Conduct a plastic audit in offices to discover which items can be swapped for non-plastic alternatives - check out your stationary cupboard and kitchen.

• Provide staff with real crockery and cutlery in your work kitchen and introduce a washing-up rota

• Investigate separate recycling bins at work – with one specifically for recyclable plastics, this can work out cheaper than putting everything in general waste

• Use glass water bottles and cups at meetings, introduce water stations with free tap water refills available

• Ask your suppliers to stock biodegradable products including teabags, instead of those sealed with plastic

How to reduce plastic use as an individual:

• Always carry a couple of reusable bags for shopping

• Refuse to use plastic straws

• Bring lunch to work in reusable tubs or beeswax wrapping and eat with real cutlery

• Invest in a reusable water bottle and coffee cup

• Look at shower gel and shampoo alternatives that don't use plastic packaging such as soap bars