Plastic Free July

Phoebe Simcock, 13th Jul 2021
Tags: Life Blog Culture Environment

Plastic Free July is now underway and I am using it as motivation to kick the excessive plastic use for good. Don’t worry if you didn’t get the memo at the start of July, it’s never too late to give a cleaner future a chance.

Plastic Free July is a global movement with the intention of putting a stop to plastic pollution. You can sign up to take the challenge on their website and they’ll send you lots of tips on how to keep motivated in the challenge and how to make those simple swaps.

They have introduced campaigns such as plastic free afternoon tea and the plastic free schools challenge to spread their message. These campaigns are just one way we can get involved, but on their website they have lots of ideas how we can help with their action for change.

The website gives ideas of what you can do in different areas of your life, such as at work, home, or school.

Examples of this could be bulk buying shopping or choosing loose food, swapping to plastic free party decorations, or utilising reusable coffee cups or water bottles.

Aside from the practical elements of the challenge, they emphasise how important the spoken word is too, they suggest to engage school friends or co-workers to join in with Plastic Free July, and if you are part of an event to use this to promote going plastic free.

Speak up about your changes.

If you can encourage just one other person to take steps towards being plastic free, this can create a positive chain reaction of others following in your footsteps, so speak up about your changes.

The movement have found that from their research, Plastic Free July participants: Reduce their household waste and recycling by 21kg per person per year (almost 5%), contribute to a total saving of 940 million kg of plastic waste each year, and 8.5 out of 10 people made changes that have become habits/a way of life.

I have abandoned gifting plastic birthday presents.

As part of Plastic Free July, I have abandoned gifting plastic birthday presents and I will be making my own party decorations with recyclable materials, which also makes them more personal and thoughtful. 

I already own a reusable water bottle and coffee cup, which I love, and I will be searching for a supermarket that sells loose foods.

Will you rid of redundant packaging and spread the sustainable word?

Check out this quiz on Euro News to find out how plastic free you really are!