Full Source Blog

Every year, millions of disposable cups, plates and paper towels are used by restaurants, businesses, event guests and average home consumers. The convenience of disposable products is undeniable, but their effect on the earth is now coming into question.

Major manufacturers are stepping up to the challenge by creating lines of eco-friendly paper products, and eco-friendly dinnerware. Some of the top brands making green disposable products are Chinet, Solo, Kleenex, Scott, Windsoft, Eco-Products and Dixie. It’s becoming easier to find everything from disposable cleaning wipes to plastic cutlery that are earth-friendly.

What makes these products environmentally-friendly? Many of these green disposable products are made from recycled materials, including post-consumer recycled content. You can also find paper products and other disposable items that are biodegradable or compostable in landfills.

Using eco-friendly disposable products gives you a sense of ease and convenience in everyday life, while still playing a role in protecting the environment.

According to national surveys, worker non-compliance with PPE (personal protective equipment) is up.

What are some of the reasons behind this?

-Workers simply choosing not to wear safety gear

-Site supervisors not wearing safety gear as an example, and workers follow suit

-Not enough safety gear for all workers on a site

-Workers claim they don’t have time to put on PPE at the beginning of their shift

The areas of PPE most neglected by workers are:

-Eye protection (workers neglecting to wear safety glasses or safety goggles)

-Hearing protection (workers not wearing ear muffs or ear plugs)

-Hand protection (workers not wearing work gloves, or not wearing the recommended work gloves for their specific tasks)

-Head protection (workers neglecting to wear hard hats or bump caps)

All of these are things that can be simply fixed. OSHA has been imposing huge fines lately for safety violations, and these excuses are not acceptable. Some site manager impose rewards for workers who consistently wear their proper safety gear. Another method is having workers watch safety training dvds that are relevant to their daily activities. These dvds can stress the importance of wearing safety gear in a way that’s informative and interesting. The bottom line is: worker safety should not be compromised for any reason.