Colleagues across Burness Paull joined together this summer to commit to removing single use plastics from their working day, whether at home or in the office.


Taking inspiration from Plastic Free July, an annual global movement to encourage people to reduce the use of single use plastic, the firm extended the challenge to also include August.

Supported by the Burness Paull Foundation, who made a donation to Keep Scotland Beautiful in recognition of employee’s efforts, the initiative saw over 100 colleagues take part.

The firm also ran an internal awareness campaign around small steps that can make a big difference, from addressing the ‘coffee cup conundrum’ to  providing ‘The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Shopping’. Colleagues were encouraged to come along and share tips and ideas for reducing waste at a series of plastic-free afternoon teas, enjoyed in each office.

Maggie Stewart, Environmental Impact Assistant at Burness Paull said: “An integral part of our ESG strategy is our commitment to reducing the impact our activities have on the environment and we’re always looking for new ways to improve, involving our colleagues in the process. It was fantastic to see so many people across the firm commit to this initiative, and support our policy to eliminate single use plastics from our operations. We wanted to get everyone thinking about ways they can reduce waste and how that contributes to our daily impact. The initiative sparked some engaging discussions and helped raise awareness around our firm’s commitment to minimising waste generation as part of our journey to net zero.