Today, 5th June, is World Environment Day, the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973, it is now thought to be celebrated by millions of people around the globe.
World Environment Day 2025: a call to tackle plastic pollution
This year’s World Environment Day campaign calls for communities, businesses and individuals to take collective action to tackle plastic pollution, and in turn create a healthier future.
Last year alone, the world generated around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste. Not only does plastic pollution have a devastating impact on ecosystems, but there are also increasing concerns about its impact on human health, with microplastics having been found in the human body.
With only around 9% of plastics being recycled each year, it’s become increasingly clear that recycling alone won’t solve the plastic pollution crisis; instead, we need to reduce our dependence on single-use plastics and find alternatives to plastic wherever possible.
Our Plastic Reduction Programme
Packaging is one of the main applications of plastic materials globally, making up a considerable share of total global plastics production. When it comes to the relocation sector, household goods moves have traditionally used large quantities of single-use plastic packing materials, with vinyl tape, bubble wrap and polychips being three of the most widely used.
In March 2023, K2 launched our Plastic Reduction Programme, in collaboration with our Partner Network, with the aim of driving the transition away from plastics towards more sustainable, recyclable and reusable alternatives.
Since launching the programme, we have been working closely with our supply chain partners, not only to monitor the use of plastics – with a focus on vinyl tape, bubble wrap and polychips in the first instance – but also, importantly, to identify suitable alternatives that can be used in their place.
Progress to date
To track progress effectively, we have asked our partners to measure and report the quantities of vinyl tape, bubble wrap and polychips used during relocations. In 2024, we captured our first full year of data, enabling us to properly evaluate progress made since the programme launched.
Below are the results:
- 12% reduction in tonnes of vinyl tape used
- 21% reduction in tonnes of bubble wrap used
- 6% increase in tonnes of polychips used
Next steps
Global Head of Compliance and ESG, Linda Rafferty, comments:
“Whilst engagement levels and progress to date have been heartening, with a reduction being seen in 2 out of 3 of our targeted single-use packing materials, it’s clear that there’s still more to be done, particularly to reduce the use of polychips. The next step will be to work with partners to pinpoint any barriers to reduction and encourage knowledge-sharing across our network with the mission of collectively developing a solution.”
Linda continues:
“For this year, working with our partner, Furthr, we will be looking at how we standardise reporting of materials. We are also planning to introduce the collection of supplier specific detail on source materials used, as well as tracking what happens to materials after use. Additionally, we plan to capture weight data on other plastic products used during moves.
This increase in the scope of our materiality reporting reflects our ongoing commitment to addressing the use of plastic in the relocation industry and driving positive change.”