Remaining Updated on October 10, 2023
It’s July, and for many who’re into eco-friendly residing, you acknowledge what which means… it’s time for Plastic Free July! To rejoice, I believed I’d spherical up only a few simple swaps.
Plastic Free July started in Australia in 2011. The aim of a no plastic July is to stay away from disposable merchandise, significantly single use plastics, in your full month. I’m sharing my favorite Plastic Free July ideas along with my most attention-grabbing ideas for Plastic Free July. Many uncover that with these swaps, going plastic free for one month turns into long term lowered plastic utilization — which has an infinite have an effect on on the planet!
Diverse of the hyperlinks beneath are affiliate hyperlinks for additional information please see my disclosure security.
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is supposed to be an issue. You’ll resolve one disposable to stay away from like single-use plastic straws, in any other case it’s possible you’ll attempt to stay away from the large 4 which can be grocery baggage, plastic straws, to-go espresso cups, and plastic water bottles. The fact is, it’s possible you’ll go all in and stay away from ALL single-use plastics for the ENTIRE month of July to just be sure you a precise drawback.
Due to it’s solely a month prolonged dedication, it’s possible you’ll get your toes moist and see if it’s one subject you’d ought to pursue long term.Â
The actual fact is, many ‘full-time’ zero wasters started by collaborating in Plastic Free July! The approach to life made lots sense that they decided to keep up up at it!
Once you start reducing your trash and publicity to single-use plastics, it’s possible you’ll uncover it’s less complicated than you depend on!
I was hooked on account of it improved my complete efficiently being and appropriately being, my pores and pores and pores and pores and skin, helped me get financial financial monetary financial savings, and further!
This publish begins out with only a few simple swaps like water bottles and toothbrushes, nonetheless evolves into some swaps it’s possible you’ll not have heard about! And, the ultimate phrase swap is MY FAVORITE — a gift that retains on giving — so be sure to check it out!
With out extra ado, listed beneath are my excessive 10 EASY swaps you may as well make for going plastic free this July.
plastic free july ideas
1. reusable water bottles:
Day-after-day in america, 50 million plastic bottles are landfilled. Take care of fairly a number of waste!
It’s potential it’s possible you’ll be questioning why we’re landfilling these bottles in its place of recycling them.
Recycling is nice and place to start out out (we’ll cowl it afterward inside the problem), nonetheless it isn’t the reply.
Have you ever ever learnt plastic solely has a 9 p.c recycle worth? That’s about to drop even lower on account of China has put a ban on plastic imports from the U.S. for recycling.
The first of my 10 ideas for Plastic Free July is to simply ship your personal water bottle. The LARQ Bottle is SO cool!
It’s a self-cleaning water bottle that purifies the water inside a lightweight single-walled stainless-steel bottle.
LARQ makes use of UV-C LED gentle to take away as masses as 99.9999% of E.coli out of your water and bottle.
Earlier that, 1% of every LARQ Bottle purchase helps to scrub up our oceans by the use of a partnership with Plastic Monetary establishment. They’ve a carry out to remove 1 million single-use plastic bottles from the ocean.
RELATED:Â Strategies on how one can Filter Water With out Plastic
2. reusable espresso cups:
From Starbucks alone, we threw away 4 billion espresso cups in 2017. That’s insane.
Plenty of the paper cups you get hold of at espresso retailers are actually lined with plastic, which suggests they’re NOT recyclable in most suppliers in america.
So, most espresso cups merely wind up all by way of the landfill.
Fortuitously, there are a bunch of options by means of avoiding these single-use plastics.
You’ll ship your personal thermos to the espresso retailer, ask for a mug to stay, and even use a mason jar. And, you don’t should get a elaborate new mason jar — it’s possible you’ll upcycle an earlier one from pasta sauce or salsa.
Seize my ideas for the Finest and Quickest Approach to Take away Labels from Jars.
3. tea:
On the lookout for one subject delicious to position into your reusable thermos? Do you could’re a tea lover like me, then it’s going to shock you to be taught most tea baggage are constituted of plastic.
A new take a look at found that the bags can launch BILLIONS of plastic particles into your cup. Yum…
Among the many many many greatest strategies to stay away from your tea being steeped with a side of polypropylene is to simply sip unfastened leaf tea!
The California Tea Dwelling started at a neighborhood California farmer’s market the place their small batch blends turned so well-liked they opened up a web page.
They’ve a very powerful variety of USDA Licensed Pure tea blends all through the usand are utterly plastic free. They use recycled packaging and biodegradable peanuts for all of their shipments, so that you just in all probability can start sipping some unfastened leaf goodness.
Actually one amongst their hottest blends is the Lime all by way of the Coconut, and I take into accout my Dad driving me crazy by having pleasing with that observe on repeat all by the use of my twelfth birthday.
Should you’ll want to give a whole lot of of The California Tea Dwelling‘s unfastened leaf teas a try, it’s possible you’ll get 15% off plus free present with the code GOINGZERO15.
RELATED: 6 Sustainable Unfastened Leaf Tea Producers
4. reusable straws:
Have you ever ever learnt all by way of the U.S. alone, over 500 million straws are used every single day? That’s a median of 1.6 straws per particular particular specific particular person!
Plastic straws are primarily unattainable to recycle on account of virtually no curbside program accepts them. They’re simply too small and can clog devices.
While it’s possible you’ll be succesful to merely stay away from a straw for water or tea, many summery drinks are made WAY elevated with a straw. So a useful, moveable, reusable straw is a painless determination to kick off your No Plastic July.
Tropical smoothies, mixed drinks, milkshakes, and thought of one amongst my non-public favorites — boba tea!
Internet Zero Co makes great cute reusable straws that hook up alongside along with your key ring.
Their straws are constituted of stainless-steel and meals grade silicone, so that you just simply don’t have to worry about clanking your enamel — significantly for many who’re having satisfying alongside alongside along with your drink whereas strolling.
Their signature design telescopes so that you could be merely regulate the size of the straw, and it comes with a cleaner.
All of Internet Zero Co‘s merchandise are shipped in plastic-free packaging, nonetheless the perfect half is that every order crops a tree in partnership with Eden Reforestation Duties which fights poverty and reverses deforestation!
With the code ‘GZW10‘ it’s possible you’ll get 10% off your complete order at Internet Zero Co.
RELATED: Take the cheeky quizÂ
which reusable straw is greatest for you?
5. swap your toothbrush:
Have you ever ever learnt every toothbrush ever created stays to be in existence?
Once you finish collectively alongside alongside along with your current toothbrush, why not change to a bamboo one?
A bamboo toothbrush could also be composted so that you just simply don’t have to worry about your earlier brush sticking spherical for all eternity.
There are tons of various bamboo toothbrush firms which have popped up — and few are even outfitted in large retailers like Purpose and Walgreens — nonetheless my favorite is Brush with Bamboo.
RELATED: Zero Waste Toothpowder + Brush with Bamboo
6. plastic-free floss:
Whereas we’re your oral care habits, have you ever ever ever thought-about floss?
Frequent floss is usually plastic. Earlier merely being plastic, it’s toxic. It’s coated with PFC’s which is a chemical that’s current in teflon. Yikes.
As a alternative, why not floss with a USDA Licensed Bio-Based utterly product that’s utterly refillable? Effectively, you’re in luck on account of Flosspot sells merely that.
Flosspot makes eco-friendly dental floss from every silk and corn for many who’re vegan.
Their floss is obtainable in a fairly glass containers and stainless-steel (merely in case you’re clumsy like me), and you should purchase plastic-free refills to insert repeatedly.
7. reusable cotton swabs:
Do you are taking into accout the picture of the sea horse holding onto a cotton swab that went viral in 2017?
That’s on account of most cotton swabs these days are made with… you guessed it — plastic! Yep, these pesky single use devices appeared pretty unattainable to interchange until now.
LastSwab is designed to interchange Q-tips, which can be one amongst many necessary frequent ocean air air air pollution.
LastSwab is the first sanitary, reusable fairly a number of to the 1.5 billion single-use Q-tips produced daily. Constructed to remaining so long as 1,000 makes use of, LastSwab is obtainable in two variations — the important for cleaning and the marvel for make-up utility.
Do you could’re involved about making an attempt LastSwab, it’s possible you’ll get 10% off for the month of July with the code ‘GoingZeroWastePFJ‘!
8. change to bar cleansing cleaning cleansing cleaning soap:
I’m incessantly amazed by what variety of plastic-free swaps you may as well make all by way of the bathroom. For a tiny room, it’d actually undoubtedly pack a wasteful punch.
One simple determination to stay away from any extra plastic bottles is to differ to waterless merchandise.
The first ingredient you pay for in elements like cleaning and sweetness merchandise is water! And, why pay for water (and to have water shipped all by the use of the nation) when you could merely add water at residence?
The Zero Waste Retailer offers a whole lot of of the easiest shampoo & conditioner bars in the marketplace on the market out there in the marketplace! With greater than 1,000 5 star opinions, it’s possible you’ll be cosy 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’s potential it’s possible you’ll get 10% off at The Zero Waste Retailer with the code GZW10!
9. ditch detergent bottles:
Speaking of waterless merchandise… have you ever ever ever thought-about cleaning merchandise?
Effectively Earth Units is a family owned and run retailer in Oregon. They’re dedicated to top of the range merchandise with zero plastic, and their laundry detergent STRIPS will rock your world.
Optimistic, I discussed strips! They’re like small objects of paper that you just simply merely throw in your washer to get each half great clear, they normally work terribly appropriately.
This plastic-free detergent alternative is fragrance-free, paraben-free, phosphate-free, readily biodegradable in accordance with OECD 310D, hypoallergenic licensed by neutral dermatologists, biodegradable, vegan, bottle free, AND shipped in plastic-free packaging!
You must use the code GZW10 to get 10% off your order at Effectively Earth Units!
10. zero waste hand sanitizer:
You’ll guess I’ve been prepared for refillable and zero-waste hand sanitizer — and it’s HERE!
Sanikind has launched a cultured, useful, eco-friendly, and setting nice determination to care for healthful on the go together with out contributing to the worldwide single-use plastic catastrophe.
Comprised of 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic, Sanikind’s trendy non-public spray bottle clips proper onto your key ring!
Sanikind makes it simple to spray down door knobs, your phone, and your arms. Their system is cruelty-free and authorised by WHO and the FDA.
The Sanikind refill is obtainable in a 16oz aluminum bottle, sustaining each half #PlasticFree.
BONUS!! going plastic free as a gift that retains on giving:
Now, that’s my favorite suggestion all by way of the WHOLE publish, and I’ll mean you can discover why…
A great deal of folks obtained’t be wanting to make life-style modifications on their very non-public, nonetheless with a easy nudge all through the exact route, it’s possible you’ll get them hooked.
I’ve achieved this with my mom, grandma, and pop. Principally, as rapidly as they found about my eco-friendly life-style, they thought I was a bit uncommon. Then, I gifted them a easy swap like a whole lot of of the options above, they normally realized these ‘eco-friendly’ swaps have been AWESOME.
A couple of of the swaps saved them money, some saved them time, and some have been merely pleasurable! The underside line is that they’ve been hooked!
So, why not reward a pal or member of the household a small reusable merchandise to permit them to type out Plastic Free July with you?
As a alternative of wrapping this stuff in typical wrapping paper, which is constituted of plastic, why not go for a BEAUTIFUL pure cotton, no-waste fairly a number of to wrapping paper that you just simply merely’ll ought to reuse, physique, or present perpetually.
Wrappr is a woman owned firm based totally in Toronto, Canada that focuses on taking part reusable, ‘wrapping paper’ that might be utilized repeatedly.
Their carry out is to take away waste and single-use plastics, and to help artists. Each of the artists receives a decrease of every sale of their prints.
As a bonus, they ship all of their merchandise in recycled and sustainable offers!
Considerably… aren’t they taking part!? And, it’s possible you’ll get 15% off your first order with the code ‘GOINGZEROWASTE’ over on Wrappr!
faqs
what are your most attention-grabbing ideas for plastic free july?
Start collectively alongside alongside along with your best areas of weak spot! By doing a trash audit (and even only a few reliable thought alongside alongside along with your self), it’s possible you’ll even see the place you produce principally perhaps in all probability essentially the most trash. As an illustration, for many who clear solely with disposable paper towels, a great place to start out out is swapping to reusable cloths/towels.
Should you acknowledge you get a disposable espresso cup daily and order takeout with a plastic container and fork, swap these out for glass Snapware and making your personal espresso.
how many individuals participate in no plastic july?
Not passable, nonetheless it’s getting elevated yearly! In line with this impact report, about 29% of worldwide shoppers (study: about 313 million people) have been acutely aware of the thought of a no plastic July, and 13% (about 140 million people) participated in 2021.
In line with the equal take a look at, participation has lowered world demand of two.3% of all bottled water. That alone is insane, nonetheless it moreover lowered 3.1% of fruit and vegetable packaging, and 4% of all plastic straws. Take into consideration the impact if all of us used these Plastic Free July ideas! Take into consideration if we carried out even half the following concepts for the rest of the 12 months as appropriately. We could change the panorama of disposable objects for the upper.
