Remaining Updated on October 10, 2023
It’s July, and while you’re into eco-friendly residing, you acknowledge what that means… it’s time for Plastic Free July! To rejoice, I believed I’d spherical up just some simple swaps.
Plastic Free July started in Australia in 2011. The purpose of a no plastic July is to steer clear of disposable merchandise, significantly single use plastics, in your full month. I’m sharing my favorite Plastic Free July ideas along with my most fascinating ideas for Plastic Free July. Many uncover that with these swaps, going plastic free for one month turns into future lowered plastic utilization — which has an infinite impression on the planet!
Quite a few of the hyperlinks beneath are affiliate hyperlinks for added knowledge please see my disclosure security.
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is supposed to be an issue. You’ll resolve one disposable to steer clear of like single-use plastic straws, in any other case you might attempt to steer clear of the monumental 4 which may very well be grocery baggage, plastic straws, to-go espresso cups, and plastic water bottles. The fact is, you might go all in and steer clear of ALL single-use plastics for the ENTIRE month of July to just be sure you a precise draw back.
On account of it’s solely a month prolonged dedication, you might get your toes moist and see if it’s one situation you’d have to pursue future.Â
The very fact is, many ‘full-time’ zero wasters started by collaborating in Plastic Free July! The lifestyle made a whole lot sense that they decided to keep up up at it!
For those who occur to start decreasing your trash and publicity to single-use plastics, you might uncover it’s easier than you depend upon!
I was hooked resulting from it improved my complete efficiently being and accurately 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 just some simple swaps like water bottles and toothbrushes, nonetheless evolves into some swaps you might not have heard about! And, the final phrase swap is MY FAVORITE — a gift that retains on giving — so be sure you check it out!
With out extra ado, listed beneath are my excessive 10 EASY swaps you can even 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. Cope with fairly just a few waste!
It’s potential you might be questioning why we’re landfilling these bottles as an alternative of recycling them.
Recycling is nice and place to begin out out out (we’ll cowl it afterward inside the issue), nonetheless it’s not the reply.
Have you ever ever learnt plastic solely has a 9 p.c recycle value? That’s about to drop even lower resulting from 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 heaps as 99.9999% of E.coli out of your water and bottle.
Earlier that, 1% of every LARQ Bottle purchase helps to clean up our oceans by way 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 Options 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.
Most of the paper cups you acquire 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 alternate 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 must get a elaborate new mason jar — you might upcycle an earlier one from pasta sauce or salsa.
Seize my ideas for the Greatest and Quickest Approach to Take away Labels from Jars.
3. tea:
In search of one situation delicious to position into your reusable thermos? Do it is necessary to’re a tea lover like me, then it will shock you to be taught most tea baggage are constituted of plastic.
A new take a look at found that the luggage can launch BILLIONS of plastic particles into your cup. Yum…
Among the many many many largest strategies to steer clear of your tea being steeped with a aspect 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 website online.
They’ve the most important variety of USDA Licensed Pure tea blends all through the usand are fully 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 pleasant with that observe on repeat all by the use of my twelfth birthday.
Should you want to give a wide range of of The California Tea Dwelling‘s unfastened leaf teas a attempt, you might 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 specific specific explicit individual!
Plastic straws are primarily unattainable to recycle resulting from virtually no curbside program accepts them. They’re simply too small and can clog devices.
If you might be succesful to merely steer clear of 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 regarded one amongst my non-public favorites — boba tea!
Internet Zero Co makes large cute reusable straws that hook up alongside together with your key ring.
Their straws are constituted of stainless-steel and meals grade silicone, so that you just simply don’t have to stress about clanking your enamel — significantly while you’re having pleasurable alongside alongside together with your drink whereas strolling.
Their signature design telescopes so that you’d probably merely regulate the dimensions of the straw, and it comes with a cleaner.
All of Internet Zero Co‘s merchandise are shipped in plastic-free packaging, nonetheless the very best half is that every order crops a tree in partnership with Eden Reforestation Duties which fights poverty and reverses deforestation!
With the code ‘GZW10‘ you might get 10% off your complete order at Internet Zero Co.
RELATED: Take the cheeky quizÂ
which reusable straw is largest for you?
5. swap your toothbrush:
Have you ever ever learnt every toothbrush ever created stays to be in existence?
For those who occur to finish collectively alongside alongside together with your current toothbrush, why not change to a bamboo one?
A bamboo toothbrush can be composted so that you just simply don’t have to stress about your earlier brush sticking spherical for all eternity.
There are tons of assorted bamboo toothbrush firms which have popped up — and few are even supplied in monumental 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 of floss?
Frequent floss is often 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 totally fully product that’s fully refillable? Effectively, you’re in luck resulting from Flosspot sells merely that.
Flosspot makes eco-friendly dental floss from every silk and corn while you’re vegan.
Their floss is obtainable in a fairly glass containers and stainless-steel (merely in case you’re clumsy like me), and you can purchase plastic-free refills to insert repeatedly.
7. reusable cotton swabs:
Do you take into accout the picture of the sea horse holding onto a cotton swab that went viral in 2017?
That’s resulting from most cotton swabs as of late 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 may very well be one amongst many necessary frequent ocean air air air pollution.
LastSwab is the first sanitary, reusable fairly just a few to the 1.5 billion single-use Q-tips produced each day. Constructed to final so long as 1,000 makes use of, LastSwab is obtainable in two variations — the mandatory for cleaning and the marvel for make-up utility.
Do it is necessary to’re involved about trying LastSwab, you might get 10% off for the month of July with the code ‘GoingZeroWastePFJ‘!
8. change to bar cleansing cleaning cleansing cleaning soap:
I’m regularly amazed by what variety of plastic-free swaps you can even make all by way of the bathroom. For a tiny room, it may actually undoubtedly pack a wasteful punch.
One simple determination to steer clear of any extra plastic bottles is to change 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) should you might merely add water at residence?
The Zero Waste Retailer offers a wide range of of the simplest shampoo & conditioner bars available on the market on the market accessible available on the market! With increased than 1,000 5 star opinions, you is prone to be comfortable with inserting your hair in good arms.
Their shampoo bars are vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil free, plastic-free, and fully zero waste — making this a Plastic Free July no-brainier.
It’s potential you might 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 of cleaning merchandise?
Effectively Earth Gadgets 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 large clear, they normally work terribly accurately.
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 need to use the code GZW10 to get 10% off your order at Effectively Earth Gadgets!
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 deal with healthful on the affiliate 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 applicable 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 help you discover why…
A great deal of individuals obtained’t be desirous to make life-style changes on their very non-public, nonetheless with a simple nudge all through the precise route, you might get them hooked.
I’ve achieved this with my mom, grandma, and pop. Principally, as shortly as they found about my eco-friendly life-style, they thought I was a bit uncommon. Then, I gifted them a simple swap like a wide range of of the alternate options above, they normally realized these ‘eco-friendly’ swaps have been AWESOME.
A number 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 kind 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 just a few to wrapping paper that you just simply merely’ll have to reuse, physique, or present perpetually.
Wrappr is a woman owned firm primarily based in Toronto, Canada that focuses on collaborating reusable, ‘wrapping paper’ that may very well 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 collaborating!? And, you might get 15% off your first order with the code ‘GOINGZEROWASTE’ over on Wrappr!
faqs
what are your most fascinating ideas for plastic free july?
Start collectively alongside alongside together with your biggest areas of weak spot! By doing a trash audit (and even just some reliable thought alongside alongside together with your self), you might even see the place you produce primarily more than likely in all probability probably the most trash. As an illustration, while you clear solely with disposable paper towels, an excellent place to begin out out out is swapping to reusable cloths/towels.
Should 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 personal espresso.
how many individuals participate in no plastic july?
Not sufficient, nonetheless it’s getting elevated yearly! In keeping with this affect report, about 29% of worldwide shoppers (analysis: about 313 million people) have been aware of the concept of a no plastic July, and 13% (about 140 million people) participated in 2021.
In keeping 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 accounts the affect if all of us used these Plastic Free July ideas! Take into accounts if we carried out even half the next choices for the rest of the 12 months as accurately. We might change the panorama of disposable objects for the upper.
