Get ready planet-people! Because we’re coming up on Plastic-Free July, a month of becoming more aware of our dependence on single-use plastics. Let’s be real — they’re everywhere. From the individually packed snacks to the plastic takeout cutlery you didn’t ask for.
Before we jump in, we think it’s important to define what single-use plastic is — because not all plastic is bad.
Single-use plastic, or “disposable plastic”, is any plastic resin product that is intended to be tossed into the bin after one use. Examples of this are the plastic bottles used for bottled water, or the plastic wrapper that your favorite cookies are packaged in, the plastic fork you get at a party or your takeout delivery, or even the lid of your takeout coffee. Millions of tons of plastic are produced each year, and most cannot be recycled—leading to overflowing landfills, polluted beaches and oceans, and even microplastics in the food we eat.
The Plastic-Free July Challenge
For the month of July, we’ll be sharing daily challenges on our Instagram to help you eliminate single-use plastic in your lives. Plus, we’ve also put together a free downloadable PDF (see below!) so you can easily follow along and prepare for what’s to come. Remember: it’s not about being perfect and there’s no such thing as failure during this challenge. The goal is to shift your mindset to make more sustainable choices and reduce your plastic footprint, day-by-day.
Why you should care
Our society’s dependence on single-use plastic is causing accelerated degradation of the planet. Single-use plastics release carcinogens into the soil, oceans and, in turn, appear in the food we eat. The average person will eat up to a credit card’s worth of plastic EVERY WEEK. If that’s not a wake-up call, I don’t know what is. Plastic-Free July is about committing to eliminating single-use plastics from our daily lives. Whether that’s simply bringing your reusable tote bags along to your grocery trips to avoid taking plastic bags, or bringing your own reusable straw with you, every action makes a huge difference to our planet and our future.
Pre-game Checklist
Here’s how you can prepare for the Plastic-free July Challenge:
- Familiarize with recycling symbols on plastics.
- Take stock of the single-use plastic in your life and swap for reusable options before the challenge starts!
- Don’t buy single-use plastic items or anything in plastic packaging prior to the challenge.
- Get into the plastic-free mindset! Don’t focus on what you can’t do. Focus on what plastics you can eliminate. Every mindful decision matters.
How you can participate
Join us on Instagram for our Plastic-Free Challenge where we will post a different challenge every day of the month. As the challenges accumulate, it may get harder, but don’t give up! Try to do as many of the challenges as you can — as best as you can. Let’s eliminate single-use plastic together.
You can stay ahead of the curve by downloading the free Plastic-free July Challenge calendar below!
