Plastic Free July

Image via: Mondays Whole Foods

During Plastic Free July we have been looking at ways we can reduce our waste and our impact on the environment. Plastic Free July aims to raise awareness of the amount of disposable plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic during July each year. It's focus is on creating awareness of the issues surrounding plastic, particularly single-use, providing alternatives and solutions, and encouraging new habits.

Some eye-opening stats for you to consider:

Every day Australians use 10 million plastic bags, that's 3.92 billion a year. If you linked these end to end, it would circle the earth 42.5 times! 1 million disposable coffee cups end up in the bin every second worldwide and 3 billion disposable cups are handed across Australian counters in cafes every year. The manufacture and transport of the plastic bottles for water takes over 460,000 barrels of oil. Less than 40% of these bottles are recycled. Over 40% of the world's plastic is used to create products designed for single use.

Takeaway coffee cups, plastic shopping bags, drinking straws, plastic cutlery and takeaway containers are all items typically used only once, possibly for just a few minutes, but will survive in landfill or the oceans for more than 100 years. Scientists estimate that by 2050, there is going to be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans.

If that’s not scary enough, the CSIRO National coastal debris survey estimates that there are about 115,513, 626 bits of rubbish on Australia’s coastline. This averages about 5.2 pieces for every person in the country! 74% of all waste found is plastic.

It can seem overwhelming to go completely waste or plastic free so we have found some easy tips that you can apply this month and for the rest of your life! For Plastic Free July you can either say no to plastic for the whole month, or give up the big four: plastic bags, bottles, coffee cups and straws!

10 Easy ways to use less plastic:

Shop at bulk food stores/local markets

Grocery stores are notorious for overusing plastic and have even started packaging fresh fruit and vegetables in unnecessary plastic. Try to avoid the big grocery chain where you can and go to markets or buy in bulk from health food stores instead. At the markets or buying in bulk/wholesale, you can generally pick up your food unpackaged so that you can use your own plastic free bags or containers.There are some amazing market baskets and reusable shipping bags on the market that are environmentally friendly and fashionable!

Shop Mindfully

Shop for only what you need, support local businesses and reduce your need for consumerism. When shopping try to buy products that are built to last instead of something you'll use once and then throw away. You should also check labels/brands when shopping to see if the brand is committed to responsible practices, like sustainability and reduced carbon emissions. Some other easy tips to get you shopping in a more environmentally friendly way include; shopping locally to reduce energy used on transport and storage, looking for products that are made from sustainable and/or recycled materials, buying secondhand clothes and household items and always opting for the products with minimal packaging.

If it’s broken, fix it

Instead of throwing an item away when it’s broken try fixing it instead. If you are unable to do this yourself take your items to a professional like a seamstress. This means you will get more wear out of items and reduce waste. You can also try altering items to get a second use out of them!

Bring your own reusable shopping bag

Always keep a reusable shopping bag in your handbag or car. They’re sturdier, easier to carry and better for the environment. Plus with so many stylish options on the market you will be spoilt for choice!

Live with less

Try reducing your consumerism and live more simply. Ask yourself if you really need another pair of heels or if it’s just a want. Instead of always buying the latest season trends try buying simple classic and long wearing items that will never go out of style. You can also try your hand at DIY around the home!

Ditch Plastic Produce Bags

Either pop them straight in the trolley/basket or bring your own produce bags, we love making our own out of old fabric! The perfect way to add a bit of colour and style to your shopping basket. Most fruit and vegetables come with their own natural ‘packaging’ like peels and are washed before consumption anyway! 

Carry a reusable drink bottle

A good glass drink bottle is a lifesaver and reduces your use of disposable plastic drink bottles. You can fill up anywhere and carry them around with ease. If you are unable to drink tap water then you can get a filtered reusable drink bottle to get rid of any nasties.

Say no to plastic straws and cutlery

When buying takeout say no to plastic straws and cutlery. You can get reusable cutlery and glass/steel straws to carry around in your bag, or you can wrap some cutlery from home in a tea towel before heading out.

Bring your own coffee cup

The plastic waterproof lining of many paper coffee cups means they can't be recycled with collections of paper and cardboard and cups that are labelled biodegradable don't compost in normal compost. It takes very specific industrial composting conditions, which are not available to the bulk of the population. Why not treat yourself and have your coffee in a have here cup. If you're in a rush then invest in a good quality reusable glass coffee cup, baristas will more than happily make your favourite coffee for you in your own cup. And if you do go with a disposable cup - Say no thanks to a lid, Ask for a cup from renewable resources like managed plantation paperboard and bin it, don't recycle it.

Refill your own jars and containers

Buy dry goods in bulk from your local health food store and refill your own jars and containers. This will reduce the need for plastic packaging for storing dry goods. We always have fun labelling our jars in the pantry for easy use! You can also easily see when you are running low on a particular product.