PLASTICS & SUSTAINABILITY CHECKLIST

Do the check list before each club activity.  Importantly the checklist is: “where practical” or “as best we can” or “improving our practices”.   It is not about absolute perfection and making your activities impossible.  A 30% or 70% reduction in waste is great and of course regular check listing affirms the actions you already have in place.   

1 – Purchase/sell products with the least possible plastic packaging and where practical avoid selling bottled water.

2 – Prefer non-plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates and non-polystyrene/Styrofoam containers.  

3 – Avoid balloons and where reasonable other plastic items for decorations.

4 – Encourage members to bring refillable water bottles and reusable coffee cups.  

5 – After the activity remove as much of yours and other’s plastics from the area.  Recycle as much as possible.

Here are some other items you may also wish to consider:

• limit the amount of paper used in meetings and conferences.
• have water in jugs and reusable cups in meetings and conferences.
• have electronic rather than paper newsletters.
• use public transport where practical.
• carpool when travelling to activities.
• take all reasonable steps to recycle waste.
• compost food waste.
• when travelling prefer hotels listed on Sustainable Social – it’s early days for us so encourage them to list.
• use LEDs for lighting.
• use solar power OR purchase only 100% renewable electricity.
• add general posts, like you would to Facebook, on your Sustainable Social page then click the share buttons to Facebook and/or Twitter.
•  volunteer for Sustainable Social.
• perhaps a small fundraiser for Its Time Foundation School Solar  Many Rotary clubs have supported this international project (Sustainable Social is an initiate of Its Time Foundation)