Plastic Free July 2020

The mission of Plastic Free July is reaching a world devoid of plastic waste and the campaign has been running now for almost a decade. Although started in Australia, it is a global initiative that has a strong focus on raising the awareness of plastic pollution and discouraging the use of single-use plastics

About the Plastic Free Foundation

Plastic Free July is an initiative run by the Plastic Free Foundation; an independent non-profit organisation formed in 2017.

According to their website, the core values of the Plastic Free Foundation are:

• Honesty and Integrity.
• Inclusivity of people, ideas, visions, and approaches.
• A focus on providing solutions.
• Authenticity and collaboration.
• The belief that small changes add up to a big difference.

I love this.

The reason I highlight these points so early on, is that I think one of the things that puts a lot of people off many green initiatives is that they can’t get past the names. ‘Plastic Free July’ does not mean that you shouldn’t participate if you can’t go 100% plastic free. Small changes make a big difference and all people come with different contexts, situations and capability when it comes to material-based waste reduction.

You’ll have seen me having made this point with zero waste but also here; small simple and realistic changes from many participants yield massive results. Much like ZWW, PFJ is keen to remind and promote this stance.

How to Get Involved

If you’re looking to get involved, the Plastic Free July website has a wealth of information and you can sign up to formally participate. However, there are no hard and fast rules; what really matters is doing what works for you and acting in the spirit of the initiative.

The best place to start though, is to take stock of the plastic you buy and throw away (recycling and landfill) and then see what you can cut out altogether. Look for alternatives and where possible; refuse single-use plastics.

Ideas for places to look at reducing plastic initially are:

• Takeaway items
• Dental care products
• Cleaning and beauty things
• Sanitary Items
• Meat and veg packaging

If you look online, there are a wealth of blogs as well as info on the Foundation’s site itself about how to make sensible and practical plastic reductions with these sorts of products.

The three R’s can be a great help in adopting a Plastic Free mindset this July. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Additionally, other approaches are to start or participate in local events, raise awareness on your social media platforms and spreading the word among friends, family and colleagues. Sharing your story helps encourage others; positivity is contagious after all.

And, That’s It!

In Summary…

This July, all you have to do to help is take a look at your shopping habits and talk about your experiences with those around you.

You don’t have to be completely plastic free (depending on circumstances, this might not even be possible) and it helps to be mindful of your consumption and realistic with your options.

So, with that in mind, it’s all really simple; so why not join in?