What is Plastic Free July?
Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution! The aim of the movement is to share important ideas to reduce our plastic footprint so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.
To celebrate this event, we want to share with you our tips to live a more eco-friendly life and reduce our plastic consumption!
BUY LESS
Often overlooked, reducing is the first of the three Rs of sustainability, followed by reuse and recycled. And there’s a reason for that: reducing our consumption and buying less is the most important tip to follow if we want to stop creating so much (plastic) waste.
Reducing the number of clothes, furniture, and items we buy can have an incredibly positive impact on our planet as it can translate to less natural resources used and less waste created - waste that could potentially end up polluting our ocean.
Were you aware of this?
2. BULK FOOD SHOPPING
Did you know that the majority of the plastic we found in our beach clean-ups is food packaging?
And it’s not only us!
Flexible plastic packaging is most commonly made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), or mixed materials and is notoriously difficult to recycle, resulting in very low recycling rates across the world. As a result, plastic bags and food wrappers are the second and third most common marine debris, and are the culprit for many environmental and health concerns across Asia. What can you do about it?
Try buying your food in bulk at a zero-waste shop (supermarkets or local shops that try to eliminate or reduce the use of plastic) and you will not regret it!
If you are from the United Kingdom you can visit thezerowastenetwork.com to find a local zero waste shop otherwise just Google Zero Waste Shop near me 😉
Try it here 👇👇👇
3. ALWAYS OPT FOR REUSABLES
We know you’ve heard this thousands of times before but, as the Latins used to say, repetita iuvant!
The number of people purchasing unnecessary single-use times is still overwhelming.
If you can avoid bottled water, do it; if you can avoid takeaway containers, do it! Remember that all single-use plastic will probably only be used once or twice before ending up in landfills or worst in our ocean!
4. OPT FOR RECYCLED PLASTIC PRODUCTS
Can’t say no to bottled shampoo? Can’t live without your favorite bottled drink? Then look out for companies that use recycled plastic to create those products or ask your favorite company to use recycled plastic rather than virgin!
It’s essential to support businesses that are giving second life to all the plastic that is collected – be it from curbside collection or from clean-ups! Remember that, while we wait for better long-term solutions, recycling is still the most environmentally friendly way to treat our plastic waste ♻️
5. OFFSET YOUR PLASTIC CONSUMPTION WITH US
We know how overwhelming living plastic-free can be. After all, plastic surrounds us everywhere we go and avoiding it altogether is easier said than done! That’s why we created a system to free yourself from plastic guilt!
You use the plastic and we collect it from the environment and recycle it for you: with a sum as little as 6 dollars you can compensate for the plastic you use and help protect our ocean and its marine life.
Click here to know more about our magical plastic offsetting program or watch the video 👇
