Remaining Up to date on October 10, 2023
It’s July, and do you need to’re into eco-friendly residing, you acknowledge what which implies… it’s time for Plastic Free July! To rejoice, I assumed I’d spherical up a number of easy swaps.
Plastic Free July began in Australia in 2011. The intention of a no plastic July is to avoid disposable merchandise, considerably single use plastics, to your complete month. I’m sharing my favourite Plastic Free July concepts together with my largest ideas for Plastic Free July. Many uncover that with these swaps, going plastic free for one month turns into future decreased plastic utilization — which has a huge effect on the planet!
Varied of the hyperlinks beneath are affiliate hyperlinks for extra data please see my disclosure safety.
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is meant to be a difficulty. You in all probability can choose one disposable to avoid like single-use plastic straws, or likelihood is you will try and avoid the large 4 which could be grocery baggage, plastic straws, to-go espresso cups, and plastic water bottles. In any case, likelihood is you will go all in and avoid ALL single-use plastics for the ENTIRE month of July to make sure that you an exact draw back.
On account of it’s solely a month extended dedication, you are going to get your toes moist and see if it’s one issue you’d need to pursue future.
In actuality, many ‘full-time’ zero wasters began by collaborating in Plastic Free July! The life-style made a lot sense that they determined to maintain up at it!
In case you begin reducing your trash and publicity to single-use plastics, it’s possible you’ll uncover it’s simpler than you anticipate!
I used to be hooked due to it improved my full successfully being and appropriately being, my pores and pores and pores and skin, helped me get monetary monetary financial savings, and additional!
This put up begins out with a number of simple swaps like water bottles and toothbrushes, nonetheless evolves into some swaps you’ll not have heard about! And, the final word swap is MY FAVORITE — a present that retains on giving — so you will need to positively test it out!
With out additional ado, listed beneath are my prime 10 EASY swaps likelihood is you will make for going plastic free this July.
plastic free july concepts
1. reusable water bottles:
On daily basis inside the USA, 50 million plastic bottles are landfilled. Speak about a great deal of waste!
You could be questioning why we’re landfilling these bottles as an alternative of recycling them.
Recycling is sweet and place to start out (we’ll cowl it shortly inside the difficulty), nonetheless it is not the reply.
Are you conscious plastic solely has a 9 % recycle cost? That’s about to drop even decrease due to China has put a ban on plastic imports from the U.S. for recycling.
The primary of my 10 ideas for Plastic Free July is to easily ship your explicit particular person water bottle. The LARQ Bottle is SO cool!
It’s a self-cleaning water bottle that purifies the water inside a light-weight single-walled stainless-steel bottle.
LARQ makes use of UV-C LED gentle to remove as loads as 99.9999% of E.coli out of your water and bottle.
Earlier that, 1% of each LARQ Bottle buy helps to scrub up our oceans by the use of a partnership with Plastic Financial institution. They’ve a intention to take away 1 million single-use plastic bottles from the ocean.
RELATED: Among the finest methods to Filter Water With out Plastic
2. reusable espresso cups:
From Starbucks alone, we threw away 4 billion espresso cups in 2017. That’s insane.
A lot of the paper cups you obtain at espresso retailers are literally lined with plastic, which implies they’re NOT recyclable in most corporations inside the USA.
So, most espresso cups merely wind up contained in the landfill.
Fortunately, there are a bunch of choices inside the case of avoiding these single-use plastics.
You in all probability can ship your explicit particular person thermos to the espresso retailer, ask for a mug to remain, and even use a mason jar. And, you don’t ought to get a elaborate new mason jar — likelihood is you will upcycle an outdated one from pasta sauce or salsa.
Seize my ideas for the Biggest and Quickest Option to Take away Labels from Jars.
3. tea:
In search of one issue scrumptious to place into your reusable thermos? For people who’re a tea lover like me, then it’d shock you to be taught most tea baggage are created from plastic.
A new take a look at discovered that the luggage can launch BILLIONS of plastic particles into your cup. Yum…
Most probably the perfect methods to avoid your tea being steeped with a facet of polypropylene is to easily sip unfastened leaf tea!
The California Tea Residence began at a neighborhood California farmer’s market the place their small batch blends grew to become so in mannequin they opened up an net web site.
They’ve a really highly effective assortment of USDA Licensed Pure tea blends inside the united statesand are utterly plastic free. They use recycled packaging and biodegradable peanuts for all of their shipments, so you’ll begin sipping some unfastened leaf goodness.
One amongst their hottest blends is the Lime contained in the Coconut, and I consider my Dad driving me loopy by having enjoyable with that observe on repeat all by means of my twelfth birthday.
In case you need to give only a few of The California Tea Residence‘s unfastened leaf teas a attempt, you are going to get 15% off plus free provide with the code GOINGZERO15.
RELATED: 6 Sustainable Free Leaf Tea Producers
4. reusable straws:
Are you conscious contained in the U.S. alone, over 500 million straws are used each single day? That’s a suggest of 1.6 straws per explicit particular person!
Plastic straws are primarily unattainable to recycle due to almost no curbside program accepts them. They’re just too small and might clog gear.
In case you could possibly merely avoid a straw for water or tea, many summery drinks are made WAY higher with a straw. So a helpful, moveable, reusable straw is a painless option to kick off your No Plastic July.
Tropical smoothies, blended drinks, milkshakes, and positively actually one in every of my private favorites — boba tea!
Net Zero Co makes massive cute reusable straws that hook up along with your key ring.
Their straws are created from stainless-steel and meals grade silicone, so that you simply simply don’t have to fret about clanking your enamel — considerably do you need to’re having pleasurable alongside along with your drink whereas strolling.
Their signature design telescopes so likelihood is you will merely modify the scale of the straw, and it comes with a cleaner.
All of Net Zero Co‘s merchandise are shipped in plastic-free packaging, nonetheless the precise half is that each order crops a tree in partnership with Eden Reforestation Duties which fights poverty and reverses deforestation!
With the code ‘GZW10‘ you are going to get 10% off your full order at Net Zero Co.
RELATED: Take the cheeky quiz
which reusable straw is most interesting for you?
5. swap your toothbrush:
Are you conscious each toothbrush ever created continues to be in existence?
In case you end alongside alongside along with your present toothbrush, why not swap to a bamboo one?
A bamboo toothbrush shall be composted so that you simply simply don’t have to fret about your outdated brush sticking spherical for all eternity.
There are tons of varied bamboo toothbrush corporations which have popped up — and few are even bought in large retailers like Function and Walgreens — nonetheless my favourite is Brush with Bamboo.
RELATED: Zero Waste Toothpowder + Brush with Bamboo
6. plastic-free floss:
Whereas we’re taking a look at your oral care habits, have you ever ever considered floss?
Frequent floss is often plastic. Earlier merely being plastic, it’s poisonous. It’s coated with PFC’s which is a chemical that’s present in teflon. Yikes.
As an alternative, why not floss with a USDA Licensed Bio-Primarily based completely product that’s utterly refillable? Correctly, you’re in luck due to Flosspot sells merely that.
Flosspot makes eco-friendly dental floss from each silk and corn do you need to’re vegan.
Their floss is bought in a reasonably glass containers and stainless-steel (merely in case you’re clumsy like me), and you should buy plastic-free refills to insert repeatedly.
7. reusable cotton swabs:
Do you consider the image of the sea horse holding onto a cotton swab that went viral in 2017?
That’s due to most cotton swabs lately are made with… you guessed it — plastic! Yep, these pesky single use objects appeared fairly unattainable to vary till now.
LastSwab is designed to vary Q-tips, which could be one in every of many important widespread ocean air air pollution.
LastSwab is the primary sanitary, reusable assorted to the 1.5 billion single-use Q-tips produced each day. Constructed to remaining as long as 1,000 makes use of, LastSwab is accessible in two variations — the essential for cleansing and the sweetness for make-up utility.
For people who’re involved in making an attempt LastSwab, you are going to get 10% off for the month of July with the code ‘GoingZeroWastePFJ‘!
8. swap to bar cleaning cleansing cleaning soap:
I’m regularly amazed by what number of plastic-free swaps likelihood is you will make inside the bathroom. For a tiny room, it could positively pack a wasteful punch.
One simple option to avoid any further plastic bottles is to modify to waterless merchandise.
The primary ingredient you pay for in factors like cleansing and sweetness merchandise is water! And, why pay for water (and to have water shipped all by means of the nation) when likelihood is you will merely add water at residence?
The Zero Waste Retailer offers a number of the perfect shampoo & conditioner bars accessible out there in the marketplace! With higher than 1,000 5 star critiques, likelihood is you will be snug with inserting your hair in good arms.
Their shampoo bars are vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil free, plastic-free, and utterly zero waste — making this a Plastic Free July no-brainier.
It is potential you will get 10% off at The Zero Waste Retailer with the code GZW10!
9. ditch detergent bottles:
Talking of waterless merchandise… have you ever ever considered cleansing merchandise?
Correctly Earth Devices is a household owned and run retailer in Oregon. They’re devoted to high quality merchandise with zero plastic, and their laundry detergent STRIPS will rock your world.
Optimistic, I mentioned strips! They’re like small devices of paper that you simply simply throw in your washer to get the entire thing massive clear, they usually work terribly appropriately.
This plastic-free detergent probability is fragrance-free, paraben-free, phosphate-free, readily biodegradable in accordance with OECD 310D, hypoallergenic licensed by impartial dermatologists, biodegradable, vegan, bottle free, AND shipped in plastic-free packaging!
It’s best to benefit from the code GZW10 to get 10% off your order at Correctly Earth Devices!
10. zero waste hand sanitizer:
You in all probability can guess I’ve been ready for refillable and zero-waste hand sanitizer — and it’s HERE!
Sanikind has launched a classy, helpful, eco-friendly, and setting pleasant alternative to carry healthful on the associate with out contributing to the worldwide single-use plastic disaster.
Produced from 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic, Sanikind’s fashionable private spray bottle clips appropriate onto your key ring!
Sanikind makes it simple to spray down door knobs, your telephone, and your arms. Their system is cruelty-free and permitted by WHO and the FDA.
The Sanikind refill is accessible in a 16oz aluminum bottle, defending the entire thing #PlasticFree.
BONUS!! going plastic free as a present that retains on giving:
Now, that is my favourite suggestion contained in the WHOLE put up, and I’ll inform you why…
A number of people gained’t be able to make life-style adjustments on their very private, nonetheless with an easy nudge inside the acceptable course, you are going to get them hooked.
I’ve accomplished this with my mother, grandma, and pop. Principally, as quickly as they realized about my eco-friendly life-style, they thought I used to be a bit unusual. Then, I gifted them an easy swap like every of the strategies above, they usually realized these ‘eco-friendly’ swaps had been AWESOME.
A few of the swaps saved them cash, some saved them time, and a few had been merely nice! The underside line is that they’d been hooked!
So, why not reward a pal or member of the family a small reusable merchandise to allow them to kind out Plastic Free July with you?
As an alternative of wrapping this stuff in commonplace wrapping paper, which is created from plastic, why not go for a BEAUTIFUL pure cotton, no-waste assorted to wrapping paper that you simply simply’ll need to reuse, physique, or current perpetually.
Wrappr is a woman owned company based in Toronto, Canada that focuses on participating reusable, ‘wrapping paper’ that could be utilized many times.
Their intention is to remove waste and single-use plastics, and to help artists. Every of the artists receives a reduce of each sale of their prints.
As a bonus, they ship all of their merchandise in recycled and sustainable offers!
Severely… aren’t they participating!? And, you are going to get 15% off your first order with the code ‘GOINGZEROWASTE’ over on Wrappr!
faqs
what are your largest ideas for plastic free july?
Begin alongside alongside along with your largest areas of weak stage! By doing a trash audit (and even just a few dependable thought alongside along with your self), you would possibly even see the place you produce primarily in all probability probably the most trash. For example, do you need to clear solely with disposable paper towels, an excellent place to start out is swapping to reusable cloths/towels.
In case you acknowledge you get a disposable espresso cup each day and order takeout with a plastic container and fork, swap these out for glass Snapware and making your explicit particular person espresso.
how many people take part in no plastic july?
Not ample, nonetheless it’s getting higher yearly! In response to this have an effect on report, about 29% of worldwide consumers (be taught: about 313 million individuals) had been conscious about the idea of a no plastic July, and 13% (about 140 million individuals) participated in 2021.
In response to the an an identical take a look at, participation has decreased world demand of two.3% of all bottled water. That alone is insane, nonetheless it furthermore decreased 3.1% of fruit and vegetable packaging, and 4% of all plastic straws. Take into accounts the have an effect on if all of us used these Plastic Free July concepts! Take into accounts if we utilized even half the following concepts for the remainder of the 12 months as appropriately. We might change the panorama of disposable devices for the higher.