Are you ready for Plastic free July?

As we gear up to the start of July and more importantly, Plastic Free July, I wanted to write down with some tips to make sure we are geared up and ready to go.  I think this year, more than any, will be a challenge due to the various Covid-19 restrictions in place but it would not be a challenge if it were easy!

I thought I would start this post of with some hard-hitting facts about plastic pollution.  If these don’t convince you to start making some changes then nothing will.

• Plastic can take up to a thousand years to fully decompose and gives off toxic chemicals whilst it does so
• With that in mind, it can be argued that every piece of plastic ever made since it’s invention in 1907 is still with us now.
• 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean every year.
• Over 1 million marine animals are killed by plastic pollution every year
• Over 90% of all fish & birds are thought to have plastic particles in their stomach
• In the North Pacific, a whirlpool of ocean currents collects plastic debris and it is currently estimated to be twice the size of France. Its now known as the North Pacific Garbage Patch.

Top Tips For Going Plastic Free

I am always advocating to start small when making lifestyles changes, as I am a huge believer that they make a big difference in the long run.  Plus they are easier to maintain if done one step at a time.  For over a year now, I have been making small changes on a regular basis and slowly changing the way we live so I feel like I am ready for a challenge!  It is not going to be easy and I really think preparation and planning is going to be key to this one so here’s a few of my tips to help us on our way.

1. Start swapping now! Don’t leave it till July 1^st only to feel overwhelmed! If you’re close to finishing your shampoo bottle then start looking at plastic-free alternatives now. Some every day essentials may catch you out if you don’t think ahead, such as bin bags, sandwich wraps and even dog poo bags, so swap to compostable options over plastic as soon as you can.
2. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, take a look at your plastic usage on a room by room basis. The bathroom tends to be one of the easiest places to start as there are easy eco-friendly products swaps for all your haircare, skincare and dental care regimes.  Have a look on our website here for some of our eco-friendly ranges.
3. Get together a plastic free on the go kit for your car or handbag. This could include a reusable travel mug, bamboo cutlery/crockery or cotton carrier bags.
4. Make sure you’re organised for your lunches to. Food on the go is a huge culprit of using single use plastic packaging so try to be organised when it comes to remembering your lunches for work or going out for the day.
5. Your food shopping might be one of the toughest problems to crack especially if you currently shop in supermarkets. Instead have a look at local farm shops/delis/butchers you can use.  They are more likely to use plastic free packaging but if not you can also have conversations with them in advance to see whether you could bring your own storage containers to put produce in.
6. As the popularity of refill shops continue to rise, we’ve seen a huge increase in new refill stores opening across the UK. Do your research on your local area, and if you can find one then make the most of it! Refill shops also tend to sell things like washing detergent & cleaning products.  You can also find a wide range of eco-friendly cleaning swaps here on our website.
7. A really easy food & drink swap is to have your milk delivered in glass bottles as opposed to buying your milk in plastic bottles from the supermarkets.
8. If you are a sucker for that weekend takeaway, start having a think on how they are packaged and if they are really that eco-friendly. Our local Indian now send their food out in cardboard packaging and uses boxes to deliver them rather than plastic bags. However, our Chinese sends their food out in plastic containers so that will be a no-go takeaway for me from now on.

Plastic Free July is all about creating awareness to encourage others to look at their plastic habits.  So talk to people and tell them what you’re doing and why.  You never know, you might encourage people to join in or even get your local food suppliers to stop using plastic packaging all together!

I’ll be updating the blog once a week on my Plastic Free July progress and also posting regularly on my social channels so please feel free to comment, ask questions or show solidarity!