With the Australian National Plastics Plan now in place, and as state and territory governments announce their plans to part out problematic single-use plastics comparable to cutlery, disposable, straws, plates and stirrers to fight the problem, the stage appears set for the most important Plastic Free July but.
From humble beginnings in 2011 when Australian founder Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and a small crew within the Western Australian native authorities dedicated to reforming their private plastic waste habits, the Plastic Free July motion has grown to turn into one of the vital recognisable environmental campaigns on the planet.
Designed to assist individuals refuse single-use plastic comparable to takeaway cups, water bottles and plastic baggage, the non-profit organisation and world initiative has broader objectives of enhancing recycling practices and inspiring the personal and public sectors to implement long-lasting options to sort out the escalating waste disaster.
“In 2020, three million Australians joined an estimated 326 million individuals worldwide who took half in Plastic Free July, on common decreasing their family waste by 5% (21 kg) per yr,” mentioned Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, Founding father of Plastic Free July.
“Since final yr, we’ve made nice progress by persevering with to vary our habits and remembering to take reusable purchasing baggage and utilizing containers to retailer meals within the fridge to keep away from plastic wrap. Nonetheless, it’s time to take the subsequent steps and keep away from single-use bottled drinks, pre-packed produce and refusing plastic straws. Collectively we are able to make an actual distinction.”
If you happen to’re enterprise the month-long problem, listed here are some ideas that can assist you break up with single-use plastic:
1. Get organised
Collect gadgets you will want on your ‘zero waste equipment’ – the software equipment that can enable you maintain your waste to a minimal and holds your reusable gadgets comparable to reusable bag, cup, water bottle, containers, cutlery, straw, handkerchief and so on – so that you simply aren’t doing a mad scramble every morning earlier than heading out the door. Bringing your zero waste equipment with you’ll enable you take care of sudden and unanticipated conditions, comparable to while you’re thirsty and wish a drink or when it’s essential purchase one thing and wish someplace to retailer it.
Associated Publish: 20 Objects That Ought to Be On Your Zero Waste Record
2. Convey your personal reusable cup
A reusable cup needs to be a part of any zero waste equipment and the zero waste equipment needs to be taken each time you allow residence. If you happen to depart your zero waste equipment at residence, select to dine in as a substitute.
3. Take reusable baggage
By no means depart residence with out one (or a number of) as you by no means know while you’ll want to purchase one thing or receiving a name from a member of your family asking you to choose up a number of issues on the grocery store on the best way residence. This contains taking some cloth produce baggage and a reusable bread bag, simply in case.
4. BYO straw or skip it completely
If you happen to don’t want a plastic straw, skip it. You don’t even want to purchase a chrome steel straw or bamboo one in case your lips do the job fantastic. However in case you resolve you want a straw, convey your personal reusable one.
5. Select plastic-free alternate options to cling wrap
If in case you have a half eaten piece of fruit or sandwich to retailer away within the fridge, don’t attain out for cling wrap. Use beeswax wraps or reusable meals containers as a substitute.
6. Use shampoo/conditioning and cleaning soap bars
As a substitute of liquid cleaning soap, shampoo and conditioners in plastic containers, go for the plastic-free variations: shampoo/conditioning bars and cleaning soap bars. There are extra companies producing zero waste private care merchandise today and a fast on-line search will convey up native manufacturers producing these merchandise.
7. Convey your personal cutlery
When life will get extremely busy, consuming on the run turns into needed. So bringing your personal cutlery set will enable you navigate these moments while you’re hungry and have to seize some takeaway meals. You possibly can veto the plastic cutlery since you’ll be capable of use those you introduced with you.
8. Convey meals containers or glass jar
Eating out may end up in unfinished meals, particularly in case your meal is bigger than you anticipated it to be. If you happen to convey your personal meals container you keep away from losing meals and you can even keep away from taking it residence in a plastic meals container. These additionally turn out to be useful while you’re bulk purchasing as you possibly can keep away from prepackaged gadgets and place unfastened gadgets in your containers as a substitute.
9. Observe the 5 Rs of zero waste
Typically credited as founding the up to date zero waste life-style motion when she began her weblog in 2009, Bea Johnson, creator of Zero Waste Home coined the 5 Rs of zero waste – refuse, scale back, reuse, recycle, rot – a set of ideas to assist individuals scale back and rethink waste. The primary ‘R’ – refuse – is arguably crucial of all of the Rs as refusing plastic from the outset means much less plastic waste to need to take care of. Prevention is best than remedy, proper?
10. Share about your journey with others
Sharing about your journey with different individuals lets you be accountable and can drive you to do your greatest to efficiently full the problem. The opposite profit to telling individuals what you’re doing is that you could be encourage others to cut back their plastic consumption. “People mobilise after we see shows of care and take motion round us,” states best-selling creator and eco-warrior Sarah Wilson in a media release for an environmental campaign by which she gives her ideas for turning the tide on plastic. “It may be small strikes, like switching out disposable single-use for compostable, reusable, and minimised merchandise.”
To be taught extra or signal as much as be a part of the Plastic Free July motion, go to www.plasticfreejuly.org.
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Cowl picture by Karolina Grabowska.
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