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Sustainability Ratings Charts
Below you’ll find an overview of potential alternatives that can be used to replace single-use plastic products.
The potential alternatives are listed on a scale of 0–10.
A solution rated 0 has the least negative impact, a solution rated 10 has a high negative impact and corresponding traffic light colours provide a more visual demonstration.
All suggested alternatives are compliant with the EU Plastics Directive.
Alternatives to plastic / aluminium coffee capsules
Around 56 billion coffee capsules are consumed globally every single year with just 30% of these being captured for recycling by the suppliers that make them.
There exist a wide range of solutions to provide coffee in a way that avoids single-serve products and reduces the negative impacts on the environment and climate.
The most sustainable alternative is providing ground coffee for guests in cafetières or filter coffee pots with the ground coffee coming from large (bulk buy size) bags.
A cafetières does require some important changes to processes and procedures so that cafetières and loose coffee are provided hygienically without impacting the guest experience.
See our Decision Tree for Coffee Capsules as well as our Standard Operating Procedure for coffee capsules for further information.
Single-use plastic cling film
Single-use plastic cling film is not needed in order to keep food fresh and hygienically clean, it only produces a lot of unnecessary plastic waste.
In order to provide fresh fruits or meals to your guests you have several options that do not include any single-use plastic packaging. Provide fruits such as bananas, apples or pears in its own skin and inform your guests that the fruits have been washed thoroughly.
Picnic can be either provided in bento baskets made from glass or Tupperware with lids. Both can be washed and thus reused again and again.
Cooked meals or fresh food can also be provided in pastry domes or with plate covers made from stainless steel.
See our Decision Tree for Single-Use plastic cling film to make a more informed decision.
Alternatives to single-use plastic bin liners
Single-use plastic bin liners do not only have a negative impact on the environment they also produce unnecessary plastic waste.
The best option is to use no bin bags at all which is perfect for all dry waste such as paper or plastic waste.
Reusable bin liners that can be washed are also a more sustainable alternatives. They can be used for dry waste but also for organic waste as the liners can easily be washed and used again.
See our Decision Tree for Single-Use Plastic Bin Liners to make a more informed decision.
Single-use plastic water bottles
According to our research the best option to offer water to your guests is by using tap water (if safe to drink or filtered) or water stations with reusable glasses / bottles.
Make sure that the measure is well communicated to guests and staff and that everyone is provided with or has access to a reusable glass / bottle.
If providing tap water or installing water filter station is not possible in your region you can check whether one of your suppliers offers medium glass water bottles with a return system which has a better impact on the environment than disposable bottles.
Alternatives to single-use masks
During the COVID 19 pandemic the production and use of single-use masks as Private Personal Equipment (PPE) have increased significantly with deadly effects on the environment.
Did you know that single-use masks do not prevent infection transmission better than properly worn reusable masks?
Prefer reusable face masks branded with the company logo for your staff and make sure there is a process in place for the handling and laundering of the masks.
