The Plastic Problem:

Reducing Disposable Utensil Waste

Proposal by Cici Liu

November, 2020
Executive Summary

Overview
Wells Fargo work to embed environmental sustainability throughout our
products, services, operations, and culture to drive efficiencies and
responsible resource use while creating comfortable, safe, and healthy
workplaces for our stakeholders.

We believe that climate change continues to be one of the most urgent

environmental and social issues of our time, and we are working across our
value chain to help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and
reduce the impacts of climate change on our business, communities,
employees, and customers.

Employees
Wells Fargo has pledged to achieve 250,000 employee commitments to
improving sustainability and vouch to help provide healthy, safe, productive,
and environmentally responsible spaces for our team members and
shareholders. Wells approaches operational efficiency through the principles
of resource efficiency and engaging employees in environmental activities
and leveraging their skills.

Problem
At least three different commercial bank locations have shown prevalent
problems involving plastic waste produced by employees in the breakroom,
inducing unnecessary spending. To build a more sustainable environment,
Wells can begin with our own offices.

Solution
A simple and straightforward solution is to eliminate all disposal utensil
waste, including all unrecyclable cups, plates, forks, spoons, and knifes by
ending company spending on all related products, provide all employees with
a waste-free kit, and initiate bring-your-own policies.
Objective
The objective of this proposed plan is to cut cost for Wells and reduce waste
through the elimination of all nonrecyclable disposable utensils while
improving employees’ environmental conciseness and health through
normalizing a culture of sustainability at our offices.
Problem and Necessity

The Plastic Problem

According to a 2020 study published in the journal Science Advances, the
U.S. generates more plastic waste than any other country in the world –
producing 42 million metric tons, or 286 pounds per person, in 2016 alone.
The same research also found that the U.S. is the third-largest contributor of
plastic pollution in coastal environments (Law, et al. 2020).

Graph generated using data from the above-mentioned study

Plastic Utensils
Some estimates put the number of individual plastic utensils wasted at 40
billion per year in the United States alone, that’s more than 100 million
pieces of plastic utensils used by Americans every day (Root 2019). If the
400 billion plastic utensils were to line up, they would wrap the
earth 162 times.

These utensils can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, leaking harmful

substances into the earth while they are breaking down. Furthermore, plastic
cups, plates, cutlery, and straws are a prime source of the estimated
269,000 tons of plastic pollution swept into waterways and oceans, where
they partially degrade, harming marine life and affecting human health
(“Plastic-Free Eats”). Every nine minutes, a blue whale weight of
plastic (300,000 pounds) end up in the ocean (Forgione 2018).
After just one single use, most of plastic utensils are thrown out and end up
in landfills or our waterways. Furthermore, plastic cutlery is one of those
items that will not get recycled even when we put it in the recycling bin;
they are too contaminated, too small, and too lightweight (Root 2019). So,
those 40 billion plastic utensils per year are a complete waste.

Health
There are also direct negative heath impacts from using plastic utensils.
Most plastic utensils are made of polystyrene, which can release toxic
chemicals when heated, making it dangerous for employees’ health when
used with hot food.
Project Description

The need to eliminate plastic utensils is clear, and here are the three steps I
suggest to transition to a more disposable-plastic free work space:

1. Audit Purchases
 Management should track how much is being spent on plastic
utensils and the quantity used. Further purchases of any related
products would not be financially supported by Wells.
2. Provide Kits
 Wells will pay all expenses to ensure every employee receives a
portable kit with a reusable straw, knife, spoon, and fork.
3. Instill a Culture of Sustainability
 Set examples and expectations from managerial actions, such as
asking carters to provide reusable or compostable utensils, order
finger foods, display signages to explain to staff about the new
utensil policy, and encourage staff to keep their provided kit at
work.

A successful implementation of the project could benefit the plant, people,

and profit, all aspects of the triple bottom line.

Planet
Most prominently, the more Wells offices to adopt this plan, the more plastic
waste will be reduced. A reduced use of disposable plastic utensils would
decrease all the energy, materials, and waste associate with the production
and usage of such products (see Appendix 2 for more details). Less plastic
waste will help reduce the size of our landfills and ease the damage on our
oceans and waterways.

People

An elimination of all plastic utensils would prevent any and all possible
toxicity from using products containing polystyrene with hot food and
beverages. An active engagement with the proposed plan could also
encourage team member to become more environmentally conscious outside
of work, bettering their sustainability skills.

Profit
Wells would potentially eliminate all costs associated with the purchases of
plastic utensils for the length of implementation. As long as the project is
implemented for an entire year, it will always yield a positive return on the
investment after.
Cost Analysis

Direct Cost
Below calculations and analysis are for one single commercial bank branch
with 20 employees for 5 years. The cost of implementing the proposed plan
should only incur a one-time cost and is calculate based on the cost of $3.50
for each reusable utensil kit. Savings calculations are based on an estimated
$205 annual spending on plastic utensils (including plates, cups, spoons,
forks, and knives).

The return on investment for the first year would be 257% while every year
after, Wells would save. From the graph above, we can see that the annual
savings from the proposed plan is perpetual, so for every year the plan is
implanted, Wells can save $205 at every branch.

Indirect Cost
The most significant indirect cost would be the utilities fee incurred from
cleaning reusable utensils at work, such as water fee. However, most
companies and organization that have implemented similar programs report
not only a decrease in overall cost but also a decrease in water consumption
and greenhouse gases due to less production of plastic utensils ("Case
study: Schools move to reusable utensils" 2018).
Assessment Strategy

Short Term Goals

 Immediately after the plan is implemented, all spending on any plastic

and disposable utensils will stop and should remain at zero.
 All employees will be notified of the proposed plan. Team meetings
should be held by managers to explain the purpose and reasoning
behind all changes. Concerns should be addressed and reported.
 Plastic utensil use should decrease by 10% every week but not
expected to stop immediately because transition will take time;
support and encouragement are recommended.
 Management can set example by using the provided utensil kit and
keeping it at work.

Long Term Goals

 Branches should see an increase in savings and profits with a decrease

in overall spending; total plastic utensil use should be close to none.
 The proposed initiatives should start to feel normal and become
habitual; team members should feel comfortable using reusable
utensils and keeping a set at work.
 Increase the number of locations that adopt the proposed plan to
maximize benefits.
 The ultimate goal is to instill a company culture of environmental
conscientiousness and sustainability.
Ensuring Success
The success of the proposed project ultimately depends on the actions of our
employees. Even if Wells Fargo stop providing disposable plastic utensils,
employees are still free to bring their own. Fostering a change in attitude will
be key. Employee engagement is crucial in maximizing the benefits of this
project; management could send out surveys or host a quick meeting to
gauge employee response when first implementing the project.
Conclusion

An alignment between our internal actions with external project

further demonstrate our commitment to sustainability to our
employees, customers, and shareholders.

Wells Fargo already implement many environmentally friendly initiatives,

including using renewable electricity and reducing consumption. But there
are aspects of waste reduction that the plastic utensil waste project will help
improve, including fostering a sustainable culture from within the company.

Although the project is simple, the proposed course of action would further
establish Wells Fargo as a company that creates a positive impact for the
environment. Company spending would decrease along with any negative
health impacts.

The proposed project is a great opportunity for Wells Fargo to increase

employee commitments to improving sustainability and vouching to help
provide a healthy and environmentally responsible work space.
Appendix A

TO: Wells Fargo Team Members

FROM: Cici Liu
DATE: November 5, 2020
SUBJECT: Utensil Changes

Wells Fargo is dedicated to better our environmental sustainability

commitments through both internal and external projects. Our newest
initiative will stop all future purchases of plastic utensils (including cups,
plates, knives, spoons, and forks). A portable kit with a reusable straw,
knife, fork, and spoon will be provided for all team members within the next
month and all are encouraged to keep the set at work.

At Wells Fargo, we believe our latest change will benefit the health of our
employees and the planet. Plastic waste is a prevalent environmental and
health concern; eliminating the use of plastic utensils at our offices could
decrease the 40 billion plastic utensils used by Americans every year,
enough to wrap the earth 162 times. Effectively, our company’s collective
actions could decrease the plastic pollution that is being swept into our
waterways and oceans, harming marine life and affecting human health.

Our team members’ commitment to the newly implemented project will

greatly impact the benefits of the proposed changes. Our management
acknowledges and appreciates every single team member’s effort in helping
Wells Fargo creating a positive change for the world. With team member
support, Wells Fargo will be more equipped to instill a culture of
environmental sustainability.

Our management team understands that team members will need time to
adjust to the changes, if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback,
please contact your direct managers.
Appendix B

Below is the life-cycle of a plastic cutlery, including environmental impacts of

the used materials and produced waste at each step.

Image adopted from http://www.designlife-cycle.com/plasticcutlery

please refer to website for full size version.
Works Cited

“Case Study: Schools Move to Reusable Utensils.” Minnesota Pollution

Control Agency, 2 Apr. 2018, www.pca.state.mn.us/living-green/case-
study-schools-move-reusable-utensils.
Forgione, Mary. San Francisco's Blue Whale Made from Plastic Trash Carries
a Message about Our Oceans. Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2018,
www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-san-francisco-big-blue-whale-ocean-
pollution-20181021-story.html.
Law, Kara Lavender, et al. “The United States' Contribution of Plastic Waste
to Land and Ocean.” Science Advances, American Association for the
Advancement of Science, 1 Oct. 2020,
advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/44/eabd0288/tab-pdf.
“Plastic-Free Eats.” Plastic Pollution Coalition,
www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/guides-eats.
Root, Tik by. “Why Carrying Your Own Fork and Spoon Helps Solve the
Plastic Crisis.” The Story of Plastic, 28 June 2019,
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/carrying-your-own-
fork-spoon-help-plastic-crisis/#:~:text=Globally,%20plastic%20cutlery
%20is%20a,their%20way%20into%20the%20environment.

Links to Items Related to Cost Analysis

Annual Cost of Plastic Utensils:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/viewcart.cfm

Cost of Reusable Utensils Kit:

https://www.ecomarketingsolutions.com/p/FMOSJ-NKDID/5-piece-stainless-
steel-flatware-portable-bag