Remaining Updated on October 10, 2023
It’s July, and must you’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 just some simple swaps.
Plastic Free July started in Australia in 2011. The aim 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 long term lowered plastic utilization — which has a limiteless affect on the planet!
Various of the hyperlinks beneath are affiliate hyperlinks for extra knowledge please see my disclosure security.
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is supposed to be an issue. It’s possible you’ll resolve one disposable to steer clear of like single-use plastic straws, in any other case it’s possible you’ll attempt to steer clear of the massive 4 which could possibly 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 steer clear of ALL single-use plastics for the ENTIRE month of July to just remember to an actual draw back.
On account of it’s solely a month prolonged dedication, it’s possible you’ll get your toes moist and see if it’s one difficulty you’d should pursue long term.Â
The very 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!
For many who start decreasing your trash and publicity to single-use plastics, it’s possible you’ll uncover it’s easier than you rely on!
I was hooked as a consequence of 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 additional!
This publish begins out with just some simple swaps like water bottles and toothbrushes, nonetheless evolves into some swaps you will not have heard about! And, the ultimate phrase swap is MY FAVORITE — a gift that retains on giving — so be sure you try it out!
With out extra ado, listed beneath are my excessive 10 EASY swaps you can too 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. Consider fairly a couple of waste!
It’s attainable it’s possible you’ll be questioning why we’re landfilling these bottles instead of recycling them.
Recycling is sweet 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 worth? That’s about to drop even lower as a consequence 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 private 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 mild 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 clean up our oceans via a partnership with Plastic Monetary establishment. They’ve a function 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 receive 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 via the landfill.
Fortuitously, there are a bunch of alternate options by way of avoiding these single-use plastics.
It’s possible you’ll ship your private 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 Most fascinating and Quickest Approach to Take away Labels from Jars.
3. tea:
In search of one difficulty delicious to put into your reusable thermos? Do you need to’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 finest strategies to steer clear of your tea being steeped with a facet 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 an web web site.
They’ve the largest 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 most likely can start sipping some unfastened leaf goodness.
Actually one among their hottest blends is the Lime all via the Coconut, and I take into accout my Dad driving me crazy by having pleasant with that observe on repeat all by my twelfth birthday.
Should you 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 via 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 as a consequence of virtually no curbside program accepts them. They’re simply too small and will clog devices.
When it’s possible you’ll be able 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 choice to kick off your No Plastic July.
Tropical smoothies, blended drinks, milkshakes, and thought of one among my non-public favorites — boba tea!
Web Zero Co makes great cute reusable straws that hook up collectively 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 must you’re having fulfilling alongside collectively together 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 Web 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 Web Zero Co.
RELATED: Take the cheeky quizÂ
which reusable straw is finest for you?
5. swap your toothbrush:
Have you ever ever learnt every toothbrush ever created stays to be in existence?
For many who finish collectively alongside collectively together with your current toothbrush, why not change to a bamboo one?
A bamboo toothbrush can also 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 varied bamboo toothbrush companies which have popped up — and few are even geared up in massive retailers like Operate 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.
Instead, why not floss with a USDA Licensed Bio-Primarily based fully product that’s fully refillable? Effectively, you’re in luck as a consequence of Flosspot sells merely that.
Flosspot makes eco-friendly dental floss from every silk and corn must 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 should 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 as a consequence of most cotton swabs recently 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 could possibly be actually one among many necessary frequent ocean air air air pollution.
LastSwab is the first sanitary, reusable fairly a couple of to the 1.5 billion single-use Q-tips produced each single day. Constructed to final 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 need to’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 usually amazed by what variety of plastic-free swaps you can too make all via the bathroom. For a tiny room, it would truly undoubtedly pack a wasteful punch.
One simple choice to steer clear of any extra plastic bottles is to differ to waterless merchandise.
The first ingredient you pay for in components like cleaning and sweetness merchandise is water! And, why pay for water (and to have water shipped all by the nation) each time it’s possible you’ll merely add water at residence?
The Zero Waste Retailer provides a whole lot of of the perfect 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 probably 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 attainable 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 Gadgets is a family owned and run retailer in Oregon. They’re dedicated to top quality merchandise with zero plastic, and their laundry detergent STRIPS will rock your world.
Constructive, 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 usually work terribly accurately.
This plastic-free detergent selection 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 could possibly use the code GZW10 to get 10% off your order at Effectively Earth Gadgets!
10. zero waste hand sanitizer:
It’s possible 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 choice to maintain up 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 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 via the WHOLE publish, and I’ll can help you perceive why…
A great deal of folks obtained’t be determined 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 shortly 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 alternate options above, they usually 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 type out Plastic Free July with you?
Instead of wrapping these items in typical wrapping paper, which is constituted of plastic, why not go for a BEAUTIFUL pure cotton, no-waste fairly a couple of to wrapping paper that you just simply merely’ll should reuse, physique, or present perpetually.
Wrappr is a girl owned firm primarily based in Toronto, Canada that focuses on taking part reusable, ‘wrapping paper’ which can be utilized many times.
Their function 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 provides!
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 fascinating ideas for plastic free july?
Start collectively alongside collectively together with your most interesting areas of weak spot! By doing a trash audit (and even just some honest thought alongside collectively together with your self), it’s possible you’ll even see the place you produce primarily possibly primarily essentially the most trash. For instance, must you clear solely with disposable paper towels, a super place to begin out out out is swapping to reusable cloths/towels.
Should you acknowledge you get a disposable espresso cup each single day and order takeout with a plastic container and fork, swap these out for glass Snapware and making your private espresso.
how many individuals participate in no plastic july?
Not ample, nonetheless it’s getting elevated yearly! In keeping with this affect report, about 29% of worldwide prospects (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 options for the rest of the 12 months as accurately. We’d change the panorama of disposable objects for the upper.
