If you haven't heard about it, Plastic Free July is all about eliminating disposable plastic (i.e. plastic that is meant to be used once, or very little, and then thrown away) from our lives for an entire month.
What makes single-use plastic so bad?
It is destroying our oceans.
It is harmful to wildlife.
It is harmful to us.
The "convenience" is not worth it.
1. Take reusable shopping bags.
2. Bring your own water bottle.
3. Say no to straws, or bring your own glass straw.
4. Bring your own travel mug for tea and coffee.
5. Don't use coffee pods.
6. Buy dry goods (beans, rice, etc.) from the bulk bins in your own container.
7. Use vinegar, baking soda and bar soap for cleaning.
8. Bring your own utensils.
9. Shave with a safety razor.
10. DIY personal care products.
11. Compost your food scraps.
Some posts to get you started:
How to Shop in the Bulk Bins
Deplastify Your Bathroom
Plastic-Free Shaving: Using a Safety Razor
DIY Deodorant
Less Toxic and Plastic-Free Laundry Routine
Plastic Free July's website has even more ideas. So does Beth Terry's.
I am a U.S. blogger, but if you are in the U.K., check out Plastic is Rubbish, she has a whole list of wonderful bloggers over there who are also participating in Plastic Free July.
What will I be doing?
As I mentioned in the lead up to Zero Plastic Week, I sometimes fell victim to the convenience of tea bags. Although the tea bags themselves were compostable (Not all of them are! Be careful, most are made with plastic in the bag itself!), the wrappers were not. I have been buying tea in bulk since then, so this shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Meat is the biggie. Sometimes they will put it in a container for me, sometimes not. And to be honest, I get sick of asking, so I settle for the plastic-wrapped variety. I kind of just avoided it during Zero Plastic Week, but I won't for Plastic Free July. The butcher paper they use is plastic lined, so that won't work, either. Any tips?
Most metal jar lids are lined with a little bit of plastic, and while I can't say that I will be entirely giving up glass jar food items, I will make an attempt to make some homemade strawberry jam and tomato sauce this month.
I will also be more specific with WHY I am refusing items. I have been at times handed straws (already in my drink), bags, etc. while eating out, even when I specifically ask for none. I think if I say "No straw please, I try not to use any single-use plastic," it might be a little more effective. Hopefully this will not come off as rude, as I know the waitstaff is just trying to do their job, and do not want to listen to me tell them about dying sea turtles. What do you say when refusing a straw when eating out? Is there a better way to get your request across? Or do you just ask for no straw and hope for the best?
Sign up for Plastic Free July here.
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