Waste Reduction Week

October 12, 2022

Waste Reduction Week empowers individuals, businesses, communities, educators, and policymakers to reduce their waste. Starting with just recycling the week has now evolved into looking into waste from multiple areas, including textiles, E-waste, plastics, and food waste. It also looks at different ways to prolong the life of existing belongings to make them last longer, and how to get involved in the circular/sharing economy. Each day of the week is themed to educate on a different area of waste. Check out our links below to learn more.

Circular Economy at Spud

At Spud, waste reduction and the circular economy are key components of our sustainability pillars. From food waste fighting to proper recycling, below are just a few ways Spud aims to reduce waste and operate with a circular economy model.

Textile Tuesday

Clothing and textiles is an area of waste that does not have as much of a spotlight as plastics, recycling, or even food waste! Textiles Tuesday raises awareness of the environmental consequences of clothing and textiles consumption and provides information on how you can extend the life of your clothing.

E-Waste Wednesday

Another area of waste we tend to think less about – E-Waste! Did you know that globally last year, the total amount of electronic waste reached 53.6 million metric tonnes? With such rapid advances in technology and endless new innovative products released every year, electronic waste will quickly become one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world.

Ways to reduce your E-waste:

Consider donating or selling electronics instead of disposing of them in the garbage
Try to repair gadgets to make them last longer, aiming to use the electronics we already have for as long as possible
Recycle e-waste at a properly managed facility to avoid hazardous material leaking into the environment

Plastics Thursday

A waste we are all familiar with! Did you know approximately 40% of the plastic produced each year is packaging, used once, and thrown away? How can you reduce your plastic use?

REDUCE: what you purchase in plastic, looking for bulk food options, opting for paper or bamboo packaging
REUSE: buy re-useable goods rather than items in single-use plastic! Check out this great list of 14 ways to reduce your plastic. Or if you do have plastic bags or plastic wrap, they can be washed and reused!
RECYCLE: Look up your local recycling regulations to properly recycle plastic waste. Use our takeback program to make recycling your Spud packaging easy!

Food Waste Friday

Food waste is an issue we are most familiar with at Spud! Take our food waste challenge below to start reducing your waste. It can be as easy as meal planning with Spud, or buying some imperfect produce!

Try:

Sharing Economy Saturday

The sharing economy includes everything from libraries, ride-sharing apps, bike sharing, or any other rental service. Products in the sharing economy are built to be long-lasting and more efficient so multiple people can use them. This reduces the number of new products being created as well as waste ending up in landfill!

Did you know that even ordering from Spud is considered a part of the sharing economy? By carpooling your groceries, you are not only reducing overall emissions, but it reduces wear and tear on cars, or eliminates the need to own one in general!

If you live in Vancouver and would like to enter the sharing economy, we’ve partnered with EVO car share, to make it easy to get started. Use code Spud for a free membership and 45 minutes of free driving.