Plastic-free July is a challenge month to see how much plastic you and your family can live without. Are you up for the challenge?
South Africa – July is the month to challenge yourself, your friends and your family to go plastic-free or at least cut down on plastic use. The challenge was launched in Australia and is spreading globally.
When taking up the challenge, you don’t have to go full blown plastic free; they feel that any effort you can commit to, you should do. The challenge has three sets of plastic-free living.
- Avoiding single-use plastic packaging
- Avoiding takeaway items like straws, plastic cutlery, coffee cups, plastic bottled drinks and polystyrene containers.
- Go completely plastic-free
They also let you decide if you would like to challenge yourself to one day, one week, one month or from now onwards. The community spans across 170 countries and more than 120 million people – and counting.
“Last year millions of people from 177 countries around the globe joined the challenge and collectively made a huge impact in reducing plastic waste.”
Here are some easy tips on how to give up plastics.
- Use material bags when grocery shopping, challenge yourself to avoid using or purchasing any plastic bags this month.
- Buy a reusable water bottle, glass and metal ones are the best. This way you always have nice chilled water, and you don’t have to buy plastic bottles.
- Refuse straws, instead, go without or purchase a bamboo, glass or metal one.
- If you are heading out for dinner, take a Tupperware for your leftovers instead of taking home a polystyrene container.
- Avoid using clingwrap, ziplock bags and other unrecyclable plastics.
- If you do use plastic, make sure it can be recycled. Then recycle it.
Are you going to take up the challenge? We have! You can sign for the challenge here. Let us know what your plan is to cut back on your plastic use in July.
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