Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that aims to work towards their vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste.
To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Plastic Free July® challenge is calling on people to choose to refuse single-use plastic in a bid to help exceed last year’s worldwide efforts and hit the global target of 1 billion kilos of waste avoidance.
The Plastic Free July challenge helps millions of people take small, daily actions and is proven to significantly avoid landfill waste and lower the risk of plastic polluting the environment. Last year, the challenge reduced each participant’s household waste and recycling by an average of 5% .
The Plastic Free July Challenge seeks to address the most critical solution to plastic pollution – waste avoidance. Reducing waste and recycling is significantly more energy efficient than piling up landfill or trying to extract plastic waste from the environment.
Given the use of some single-use plastic for many takeaway items has increased over the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a heightened sense of urgency to reinstate the positive progress made in reducing plastic waste and pollution.
Plastic-Free and Zero Waste Lifestyle Tips
Plastic Free July isn’t about drastic lifestyle change; it’s about being more conscious of the single-use plastics that you use day-to-day and taking small but smart steps to reduce them. Simple swaps could include switching to bar soap or avoiding plastic when you buy your fruits and vegetables, and there are many other simple changes you can make on a daily basis below.
Ask yourself. Talk with your family and friends. What can you to reduce your use of plastic–especially single-use plastics?
Check out these related posts that explore plastic-free living tips:
Protect Our Environment with Plastic Free July: #ChooseToRefuse Single-Use Plastics
8 Simple Strategies to Go Plastic-Free in the Kitchen
10 Simple Steps Towards a Plastic-Free Lifestyle
Top 5 Tips For Living a Plastic-Free Life
Beat Plastic Pollution: How to Reduce Plastic Waste While Traveling
The Global Impact of Plastic Water Bottle Usage and How to Reduce It
How To Stay Green and Zero Waste While Living In Quarantine
How to Reduce Waste by Creating a Zero Waste Home
12 Eco-friendly Essentials for Your Zero Waste To Go Kit
A Note About the Impact of COVID-19
We’ve all seen how COVID-19 is making it trickier to use reusable products in many businesses than it might have been in previous years, but don’t let the safety measures due to the pandemic thwart your plastic-free efforts. There are plenty of swaps that you can try inside the home, even if it’s harder when you’re out and about.
We’re part of a movement with 250 million other people, and whatever we can do is going to have an impact. Collectively, all of our efforts are added together – so your actions count.
By making small changes to your everyday habits, you can make a significant difference. Here are some things to think about to help reduce single-use plastic during the pandemic:
- If you are still able to use reusables where you live, make sure they are ready (and clean!) and accessible (like having your shopping bags in the boot of your car or by the door, and keeping your coffee cup or drink bottle in your bag)
- If reusables and bulk shopping aren’t an option for you, think about how you can reduce plastic in your kitchen – ditching the single-use glad wrap, or perhaps trying to make some things from scratch to avoid the packaging
- Plan and prepare meals and snacks ahead of time, so you don’t get caught out
- Enlist your friends, colleagues, and family members to keep you accountable and do the challenge with you.
Once you choose at least one single-use plastic to avoid, you’ll quickly discover the other plastics in your life that you can start cutting out–and on and on and on.
Avoid Landfill Waste. Reduce Your Eco-Footprint. Protect the Ocean.
Make an Impact!
Join the Plastic Free July Challenge at www.plasticfreejuly.org/takethechallenge
Do you part to reduce plastic use and plastic waste.
What to Avoid |
What to Do Instead |
Pre-packed fruit and vegetables |
Choose loose products (skip the little plastic bag or put in a reusable bag) |
Lightweight plastic bags |
Remember your reusable shopping bags or use a cardboard box |
Pre-packed foods |
BYO reusable container |
Fill your bin with plasticsfor ‘recycling’ |
Avoid as much plastic packaging as you can |
Takeaway drink straws |
Refuse plastic straws (or opt for a paper straw if they have them). BYO reusable straw |
Takeaway coffee and beverage cups |
Bring your reusable cup or sit and enjoy a real cup |
Takeaway utensils andcontainers |
Support vendors offering compostable alternatives (bamboo or card), BYO reusables or sit and enjoy ‘dine-in’ |
Bottled water |
Fill a reusable bottle from the tap or water filter |
Bottled soft drinks |
Reduce the amount (helps your health), or make your own with a soda maker/carbonator or choose glass bottles (and recycle) |
Bin liners (or ‘reusing’plastic shopping bags) |
Have a sealed container for ‘wet’ scraps and compost or freeze until bin day. Line the kitchen bin with paper |
Plastic food wrap forleftovers and sandwiches |
Use a reusable lunch box to store food, store food in containers or use plastic-free wraps |
Littering: cigarette butts,balloons |
Dispose of cigarette butts in the bin (they are plastic and wash into the ocean environment)Avoid releasing balloons What goes up, must come down) |
What are your doing to reduce your use of plastic–especially single-use plastics?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
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