We’re half way through Plastic Free July! The original concept was to refuse plastic use for the entire month of July. An estimated 250 million people took part last year. This year, across the world, Plastic Free July’s 10th anniversary challenge looks a little different. With the entire world facing this pandemic, many are staying home, even whilst the lockdown has been lightened, and only leaving home to go to work, and to the shops.
Given the current situation reducing plastic use is not a priority for many. I want to show you some things you can implement at home, if you are able to do so, to reduce your plastic use and share some things I have learnt over my 10 year green journey.
- Read up about the negative environmental and health effects of single-use plastic. We all need to understand why it is so important to reduce our plastic use!
- Have a look at what single use plastic you currently throw away! You’ll be surprised to find there are many plastic packaged products that can easily be bought plastic free.
- After every shop, put your reusable bags (shopping, fruit and veg, dry goods, bread, etc.) somewhere where you will remember to take them with on your next shop. If you don’t have any, I highly recommend you invest in some. Shop Zero™ would love to help by offering 10% discount on all products bought online in July. Enter code PlasticFreeJuly10 at checkout.
- The same thing goes for your reusable coffee cup, bottle, straw, container and utensils, which are safe to use during this pandemic, as confirmed by health experts across the world.
- If you want to switch to plastic free versions of products you are currently using, don’t throw out what you are using. Be sure to use up what you have first, and after use recycle what you can and ecobrick what you can’t. Need a convenient way to ecobrick? Get yout comfortable ecobrick stick here.
- Not all switches are easy and that’s ok. For some, switching from plastic packaged body wash to bar soap doesn’t work, but you could switch to a metal bottle body wash instead. Or even take a reusable bottle to your local zero waste shop to be refilled.
- If you are passionate about reducing your plastic use, you will most likely have to go to 3 shops to get what you need instead of just one. In my area there is one shop that sells plastic free broccoli, another that sells a large variety of plastic free fruit, and a third one that sells packaging free cleaning products.
- Not all plastic is bad. There are many things in our home, that is made of plastic that we use every day. I’m not going to throw out a perfectly fine product just because it is plastic. Take reusable food containers as an example. We have many, and when we needed new ones, we bought glass and aluminum versions.
- Try make things at home that comes in plastic packaging. We make our own orange juice from packaging free oranges, instead of buying plastic bottled orange juice. I want to try baking bread at home next.
- Share your plastic free journey with others and you could inspire others to make positive changes to the environment.
Good luck on your plastic free journey, and remember:
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
- Edward Everett Hale
Lots of Love, Sharné aka The Green Vegan Chick
About the author: Sharné started her green journey over a decade ago, and has been vegan for 9 years. She started her beautiful Instagram page and blog to make it easier for others to make simple earth and animal friendly changes in their daily lives. Give her a follow on Instagram over @greenveganchick for low waste inspiration, amazing plant-based recipes and all things green.