Happy July everyone! This month has been deemed Plastic Free July. Have you heard of it? It’s a global movement that raises awareness surrounding the impact of plastic pollution on our planet.
We may not always be aware of how our plastic consumption contributes to polluted streets, oceans, and communities, which is why Plastic Free July is a great time for us to reflect and make positive changes.
I’ve created a fun Plastic Free July Bingo sheet which you can save or download here!
I discovered Plastic Free July in 2018. Since I took the pledge 4 years ago, I’ve made environmentally friendly swaps, refused plastic whenever possible, and took the time to continue my education on sustainability and encouraged others to do the same. Whether you’re new to Plastic Free July or would like tips on how to refuse single-use plastics, here are 4 ways you can celebrate.
1) Bring Your Own Reusable Items An easy yet effective way to refuse single-use plastics on the go is to bring your own reusable items. Take a few moments each day to prepare and place your items in areas that are easily accessible. My favorite places to keep reusable items include in a basket by the front door, in the car, and in my bag. This ensures I won’t forget them! Some items include
• Stainless steel or bamboo cutlery
• Stainless steel insulated drink-ware
• Stainless steel or bamboo food container
• Reusable grocery bags
• Tote bag for shopping
2) Choose Plastic-Free Whenever Possible How many times have you seen fresh fruits and vegetables wrapped in an unnecessary amount of plastic? Making the conscious decision to choose items that come as is, for example loose apples and oranges instead of bagged apples and oranges makes a huge difference.
I understand that most times bagged produce may be cheaper, so if you’re able to, choose loose/plastic-free whenever you can. The same goes for personal care products. Places such as Rocky Mountain Soap and Lush Cosmetics have products that come in recyclable packaging or products that come with no packaging at all!
3) Gradually Make Swaps As you begin to assess just how much plastic you use in your daily routine, you may feel inspired to make big changes. While this is wonderful, it’s important to remember that lifestyle changes don’t happen overnight.
Rather than replacing your current items and adding to the plastic pollution problem, finish using what you have and then start looking for eco-friendly swaps. Start by targeting one area at a time such as your kitchen, bathroom, or personal care products. Some swaps include
• Cellulose and cotton cloths in place of paper towels packaged in plastic
• Bar soap in place of a hand soap in a plastic bottle
• Bamboo cotton rounds in place of cotton pads packaged in plastic
• Shampoo and conditioning bars in place of plastic haircare bottles
4) Educate Yourself and Others An easy way to bring awareness to any situation is to talk about it. Take a few moments out of your day to educate yourself about our global plastic pollution crisis and share it with others.
Start by doing some research about how your city or country is tackling our plastic pollution problem. We all have a part to play and have the ability to make a positive impact on our planet.
I encourage you to take the challenge this month. Whether it’s making one eco-friendly swap, refusing single-use plastics whenever possible, or encouraging those around you to be more mindful of their plastic consumption. How will you be celebrating Plastic Free July? Visit their website for resources, how you can help, and more. For more eco-friendly posts, visit my tag here.
Don’t forget to save and download my free Plastic Free Bingo sheet here!
These are great suggestions for ways to go plastic-free and I’ve been helping my parents make some sustainable swaps as well. I’ll also have to check out your bingo card!
That’s great to hear Karalee! I’ve been encouraging mine to make swaps too. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy the bingo card!
These are really great ideas for how to limit plastic usage. We’re doing our best to limit.
That’s great to hear, every bit helps! Thank you for reading!
We haven’t heard of plastic free July, but we can definitely work on cutting our plastic use. Thanks for sharing!
That sounds wonderful! Thank you for reading!
Thank you for these tips, they’re super helpful! I’ve become more aware of my plastic consumption and started to be more eco-friendly with my friends. My favorite reusable products are my collapsable Stojo cup and reusable cloth tea bags. I’m an avid tea and coffee drinker so I don’t want to contribute to waste with tons of plastic cups in the trash. Great post and ideas, I’m excited to challenge myself for Plastic Free July! x
That’s wonderful Jordan! Having a reusable cup makes such a big difference especially for coffee and tea lovers! Thank you for reading and taking the Plastic Free July challenge!
These are all great ideas! I know I have a long way to go to be plastic free… but now I have some ideas to work on.
I’m glad this gave you some ideas on where to start! Thank you for reading Wendy!
Making gradual sustainable swaps is always a good start to become as plastic-free as possible! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Yes absolutely! It all starts with small steps and changes. Thank you for reading Lucy!
Ooh these are some really great suggestions! I’m slowly getting into the habit of taking my own reusable items with me when I go out, and I always try and educate people when I can. I think my next area to tackle is my bathroom, where I’ll hopefully be making some more swaps! Thank you so much for sharing x
That’s awesome Ceri! I hope you find some great swaps for the bathroom, it’s so fun trying new products. Thank you for reading!
Thanks for giving me lots of ideas on how to further reduce my use of plastics. I always appreciate your valuable information.
Thank you so much Jodie! I’m happy it was helpful!
This is great; it goes to show you that there are a number of easy ways to make a transition to living plastic-free (or as close to it as we can reasonably do). I am making changes within my home and everyday choices so it all adds up!
Absolutely! It may seem like an overwhelming task but it all starts with simple every day choices. Thank you for reading Molly!
These are good ways to support plastic free campaign. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading Fadima!
This is a wonderful post with some brilliant ideas.
I’m glad it was helpful! Thank you for reading Ranjana!
I’ve only just learnt about Plastic Free July and it’s defiantly something I’m participating in this year. I’m trying my upmost hardest to make swaps, to reuse and make changes in my life! I love what this month stands for. Thank you so much for sharing with us lovely Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
That’s wonderful to hear Elle! I’m so glad you’ll be participating this year. Thank you for reading!