Here are some of my favorite clips: 

– The impact from these opportunities of service go way beyond the doing. It’s what those team members will take back home with that that will really have a lasting impression. “We’re not only looking for what individuals can do to be a part of solving the marine debris problem, but also the role of business and how the business can produce less single use plastics that they then put out onto the market,” Doebler said.  

– When Doebler hosted a cleanup for St. Dalfour Fruit Spreads, the employees were so impacted by what they experienced, the company removed with the plastic, tamper-proof seal on 60% of its products, resulting in 23 tons of reduced plastic waste.

– It’s a shift, and now the onus is on DirecTV. “I would challenge whoever does the manufacturing,” Doebler said. “Are they coming in plastic bags? Are they coming in styrofoam? Can we shift to something that is more biodegradable?”

Team members were already showing signs of inspiration. “Just being conscious about what kind of materials we’re using in our packaging,” said Banda. “If we have the ability to use some sort of biodegradable equipment, or even have a recycling program set in place when customers are done with that equipment, they can recycle it afterwards.”

Doebler said the goal is to get these corporations to see that they’re not giving consumers a lot of choice. Most every product comes packaged in some kind of plastic. What these experiences challenge the business to do is to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in products so the consumer doesn’t have to throw away so much trash.