Plastic Free July is a great time to learn more about sustainable living, easy low waste product swaps you can make in your daily life and join a growing movement of people reusing and ditching single use plastic!
Are you ready to be part of the solution? Take the challenge on PlasticFreeJuly.org and keep reading for some simple tips on how to reduce plastic this July and beyond!
Plastic Free July Week 1
Pick one small step. Starting with a small win will help you keep going! Try setting your reusable bags near the door so they’re easier to remember. Pretty easy right? Then try adding your reusable straws, reusable water bottles and coffee cups near the door so you remember them. This will start a new habit helping you to reduce single use waste!
REUSE what you have! Before buying something new, ask yourself do you truly need it or is it a want. If you want that new eco-friendly product and you don’t have something you can use instead of buying something new, wait a few days. If you still want it, then go for it! Avoiding an impulse buy, no matter how sustainable it is, is always better than buying it and not using it.
Buy naked produce! The best option is to go to the farmer’s market and buy directly from the farmer in your own reusable produce bag, but we don’t always have time to do this. When you buy your produce at the store, try and avoid the pre-packaged produce when possible. They don’t make it easy to do this! Try your best and buy those veggies! It’s better than not buying veggies.
Plastic Free July Week 2
Choose plastic free packaging whenever you can! Bring your own containers to refill bulk foods and cleaning supplies at your local store! Don’t have a refillery near you? Check out a local co-op or grocery store that has bulk food and choose to purchase from the bulk bins when you can. It’s also a great way to reduce food waste since you can get the amount you need instead of a larger container!
Try food wraps! Beeswax or plant-based food wraps are a great way to preserve your fruits and vegetables longer, keep your fresh bread fresh, and cheese from molding! They aren’t just to cover bowls, but you’ll look pretty stylish if you use them to cover your dish for the potluck and this is a great way to help spread the word about these!
Make your own snacks! Prepackaged snacks are difficult to pass up! We get it, we buy it sometimes too. Head over to the bulk food aisle with your reusable produce bag and fill up a little bit of nuts, dried fruits, and whatever else you like, then take it home and make your own snack bags to take with you! There is a ton of recipes online to dehydrate fruit, make power balls, and other snacks. In the long run, it will save you money while saving the planet.
Choose loose leaf tea! Some tea bags contain plastic…avoid this craziness and excess packaging that can’t be composted by opting for loose leaf tea. There are some great tea strainers and reusable tea bags available! Bonus, we use our metal tea strainer at home to strain older bottles of wine that have sediment in them. Works great!
Plastic Free July Week 3
Swap liquid soap for solids! Switching to shampoo and conditioner bars will help you go plastic-free in the shower, and they work amazingly (if you get the right ones). Some shampoo bars are created like soap, the ones we carry were formulated for all hair types and help the health of your hair while getting it clean.
Solid dish soap is a fantastic cost savings! The bars last longer and we aren’t squirting out more dish soap than we need. Interesting fact, we use both at home. We clean a lot of bottles by the sink full and need the liquid dish soap for this, but we use the solid dish soap to scrub the dishes clean.
We grew up using solid soap bars to wash our hands and bodies. Not sure at what point it switched to liquid soap but if your sink and shower is set up for a solid hand soap bar, we’ve got you covered! Solid body wash bars are preferred in our shower!
DIY household cleaners! There are so many great DIY cleaning recipes online that save money while saving the planet! If you have a favorite, drop it in the comments below! Ours is vinegar and water. This will disinfect pretty much everything, but your home will smell like a beautiful salad. Have you tried soaking citrus peels in vinegar to give it a good smell? Castile soap is another powerhouse that can clean everything safely and effectively!
Switch to reusable razors! Ditch the disposable razors that last forever in our landfills and may contain toxic chemicals in the lubricating strip. No thank you! There are some amazing options to help make the switch and reduce waste and toxic chemicals in your bathroom! The safety razor gives you the closest shave and the Leaf razor has a pivoting head and is the easier of the two for transitioning. Both have recycle programs for their used blades and both razors will last a lifetime.
Reduce plastic in the bathroom! Try toothpaste tablets or toothpaste in a recyclable metal tube, and compostable toothbrushes and floss to get your oral care routine plastic free! Toothpaste tablets are a game change for the world traveler or backpacker! You can take only what you need with you instead of a travel size tube that will live forever in the landfills long after your trip. Did you know most floss is made from nylon and is made from crude oil or petroleum? We need to take care of our teeth but we can do it a little more gently on the planet.
Plastic Free July Week 4
Pick up litter! When you see it, pick it up and follow Leave No Trace Principles when out and about! It isn’t always convenient to pick up other people’s litter but if you can, please do! And if you’re going out on a picnic, pack your trash out with you and try not to put the trash in the bin at the park where critters or the wind can cause it to fly away before it is emptied.
Use paper compost bin liners! Here in California, composting is mandatory, and paper is accepted in the compost! Use your already read newspaper or scrap paper to line the compost bin instead of the bio plastic liners that may not be accepted at the compost facility. Save money too!
Travel with reusables! Refill what you need in the smaller reusable travel containers and get through security in a breeze. Or choose solids so there’s zero worries about leaks or how many liquids are traveling with you.
Choose natural fiber clothing when you can! Natural fibers will shed less microplastics, but they can be a little expensive. Look for them at secondhand stores to cut down on the cost. If you need clothing with synthetic fibers (think workout clothes or work clothes), wash them less often. This helps to preserve the fabric and reduce the amount of microplastics going into our waterways.
As Plastic Free July comes and goes, it's important to remember that the journey towards a plastic-free lifestyle doesn't end here. This month-long awareness campaign provides a great opportunity to learn, adapt, and implement sustainable practices into our daily routines.
By taking small, manageable steps like using reusable bags, switching to solid soaps, and choosing loose leaf tea, we can significantly reduce our plastic footprint. Additionally, embracing a mindset of reuse and mindful consumption helps us make more sustainable choices beyond July.
Let’s continue to build on the habits we've started and inspire others to join this important movement. Together, we can make a lasting impact on our planet.
