New toolkit for eco-conscious small businesses launched

Big Plastic

Domain and web host company GoDaddy is joining forces with Olympic sailing champion Hannah Mills MBE, to inspire UK micro-businesses to become more sustainable.

Through its partnership with Team GB for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, GoDaddy has teamed up with Mills, who is going for gold again this Summer, to support her Big Plastic Pledge initiative.

The campaign looks to eradicate single-use plastics in sport through simple and easy-to-deploy solutions for competitors, spectators, sports clubs and governing bodies. GoDaddy is helping to take the Pledge to the next level by developing, redesigning and hosting new toolkits for Hannah’s network of Olympic ambassadors and to share tips with UK micro-businesses for ways to become more sustainable in their operations.

The business toolkit includes tips to cut plastic waste, as well as advice on working uniquely with sustainable brands and aiming to operate with a ‘clean’ supply chain. It launches as global plastic production has surged to 8.3bn tonnes since the early 1950s, and with single-use plastics making up 40% of the world’s total1.

For Olympic ambassadors who have signed up to support Hannah with the Big Plastic Pledge, the toolkit includes additional materials such as an athletes’ charter, a social media guide and recommendations for how to work with sponsors.

Hannah Mills MBE – who launched the Big Plastic Pledge in 2019 – said: “Spending so much time on the ocean means I see first-hand how the damage of plastics impacts the earth’s natural resources. We have come a long way in tackling the issue, but we have so much further to go.

“These toolkits, built and launched in partnership with GoDaddy, make it manageable and achievable for businesses to cut down on plastics on an individual level, and have the potential to be incredibly powerful if used in numbers.”

Ben Law, Head of UK & Ireland, GoDaddy, said: “Micro-businesses make up 96% of the companies in the UK2, so they have the potential to come together and create substantial positive change for the planet. Consumers have become more environmentally-conscious in the last few years and they increasingly value entrepreneurs who can embed sustainable practices at the heart of their businesses.

“However, we know it’s not always easy to achieve. As a company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs and provides the tools and help to succeed online, we are pleased to be working with Hannah to help her spread the word encouraging increased sustainability.”

GoDaddy is committed to an environmentally sustainable future. As we grow, we hold ourselves to a high standard of stewardship in areas where we have the greatest impact and influence. We push ourselves to operate efficient spaces, use resources responsibly, reduce waste and limit our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions footprint. At our offices around the world, we’re working to minimize our environmental impacts by promoting resource efficiency, recycling and the use of sustainable products.