Stories

When it comes to helping the environment, every action—big or small—really does make a difference. Here are 12 simple things that staff from KBR Government Solutions APAC did in 2019 to help reduce the use of single-use products and to keep unnecessary waste out of landfills and waterways.

1. Using keepcups. The ‘Don’t be a mug’ campaign encourages staff to remember to take their keepcup or a normal mug down to the café for their morning cuppa.
2. Setting up an Office Garden encourages use of fresh ingredients in the office and for staff to take home.
3. Turning plastic lids into prosthetics. Helping Lids 4 Kids to collect plastic bottle lids to transform into 3D printed prosthetic hands for disabled children.
4. Recycling soft plastics. Plastic bags and wrappers are collected and taken to the local grocery store, which sends them on for recycling.
5. Promoting KBR One Ocean. At a recent maritime expo, where plastic giveaways were the norm, KBR bucked the trend by giving away durable paper straws!
6. Bringing lunch from home. Not only does it save money, but home-made food is often healthier and can be stored in reusable containers.
7. Ditching plastic cutlery. The office no longer uses single-use plastic knives, forks, spoons, cups or plates.
8. Making soda. Using a Sodastream to make our own carbonated drinks saves money and reduces single-use plastic bottles.
9. Recycling Nespresso coffee pods. Coffee pods from the office and home are returned to Nespresso. The aluminium pods are recycled, and the coffee grounds are composted.
10. Reusing shopping bags. Single-use shopping bags are banned in Canberra, and reusable alternatives are the norm! In 2020 the office is setting up a shopping bag ‘library’, so staff can borrow bags before they go to the shops.
11. Repurposing single-use plastics. When our Kitchen Garden plants need re-potting, we use repurposed plastic bottles, giving them a new and meaningful life.
12. Composting food scraps. Many staff enjoy buying fresh farm eggs from a colleague and in return we compost office food scraps to give back to her chickens.

In 2020, everyone at KBR Government Solutions APAC is looking forward to finding even more ways to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices.