Queenstown care home embrace Plastic-Free July
With the global plastic-free movement underway throughout July, a Queenstown care home is doing their bit to reduce their plastic use.
Bupa Lake Wakatipu Care Home have started using compostable and plant-based plastic bags in an effort to reduce their environmental footprint.
“We use so many plastic bags and we were just thinking, ‘what can we do about it’,” Care Home Manager Juliet Towers said.
Already using reusable shopping bags for her groceries and produce, Juliet wanted to make a sustainable difference at Bupa Lake Wakatipu, something her team has been advocating for.
“My team are passionate about this, they see what plastic they are using, and they’ve talked about it and want to do more,” she said.
“It is not about being green. It’s about doing the right thing.”
After watching someone selling compostable plastic bag on the AM Show one morning, it clicked for Juliet.
Soon after, she was arranging to have an option for compostable plastic bags available for her team at Bupa Lake Wakatipu - an initiative so well received that the option for compostable bags is now available business-wide across health and care company Bupa.
This includes 49 care homes, 33 retirement villages, and seven rehabilitation centres.
“We need to show we do care and not just for our residents. We want to demonstrate we’ve got everybody’s future in mind, not just residents, not just staff, but everyone we come into contact with,” Towers said.
“We live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and there is still plastic lying around.”
“This is what we are doing to show we are committed to sustainability.”
Jenny Dickinson, Procurement Category Manager who approved the option of compostable plastic bags across Bupa says making sustainable choices like this is a no-brainer.
“Being able to support our people with sustainable choices they make, and helping bring sustainable initiatives to life, is something we strive to do at Bupa. We want our people to be equipped with the tools to create a better future and healthier planet for everyone,” Ms Dickinson said.
