Plastic Free July? If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, don’t worry. We have all the information you need to help you get involved in this global zero-waste movement!
People all over the world will be taking part in Plastic Free July. It’s a global challenge to help reduce the wastage of ‘single-use’ plastic. Whilst that may seem impossible, and unfortunately some brands and manufacturers still aren’t catering for the environment, it’s a great way for all of us to do the very best we can to help reduce our use of plastic.
How Does Plastic Harm The Environment?
Did you know that not all plastic is recyclable, and not all recyclable plastic is recycled?
Plastic takes hundreds of years to completely break down ‘naturally’. During that process, it generates many toxic substances and gases.
A staggering amount of plastic waste also ends up in landfills or, even worse, is littered in natural environments. This will often end up making its way into rivers, lakes, and the sea. This can cause severe harm to marine life as they can mistake the broken-up pieces of plastic for food. They often ingest this or become tangled in it, ultimately leading to injury or death.
Our overuse of plastic doesn’t just harm marine and animal life around us. We are actually harming ourselves. Microplastics (plastic particles of less than 5 millimetres) are now present in our water bodies, soil, and the air we breathe. Over time, this could pose a risk to our health, too.
What Are The 3 R’s?
There are 3 important R’s that you need to understand and act on….
Reduce
Try to use reusable products wherever possible. Seek out eco-friendly packaging and make conscious choices to avoid unnecessary plastic waste.
Reuse
Don’t throw it, repurpose it! Where possible, give your plastic item a new lease of life and be creative. If you can’t use it again or repurpose it, donate it to an organisation that can extend its usability.
Recycle
Sort and separate! Where possible make use of proper recycling practices and dispose of your plastic accordingly so that it can be recycled and repurposed rather than filling landfills where it isn’t properly recycled
How To Reduce Plastic Waste At Home
So, how do you get started at home? Maybe you are already on your journey to perfect recycling but want to know more… check out some of these ideas:
Reusable Bags
Thankfully, most people are now catching on to this and are using reusable bags. However, some shops are still selling plastic bags (extortionately priced also!). If you forget your reusable bag, purchase a new one, don’t buy these throw-away plastic bags. More often than not, they get used as bin bags when you get home and are discarded in normal household waste. They aren’t recycled, they simply end up in a landfill.
Food Packaging
Opt for open and fresh fruit and vegetables rather than products wrapped up in layers of plastic pre-packaging. This helps to reduce plastic packaging waste.
Reusable Bottles
Make use of reusable water bottles and coffee cups when you are out and about. Say no to disposable plastic cutlery and plastic straws.
Cling Film
Don’t buy clingfilm. It’s a one-use plastic, once you are done with it, you throw it away. Instead, opt for food containers that can be used again and again, they’re also likely to keep your food fresher for longer anyway!
How To Reduce Plastic Waste At Work
Now you’re sorted at home and know where you can make some changes, what about your workplace?….. Let’s see if there are things you can implement to help improve plastic wastage:
Reusable Containers
When you’re out of plastic cups for the water dispenser, don’t order more! Get your colleagues to use reusable bottles or glassware as an alternative. Hopefully, your workplace isn’t still using plastic cutlery, if they are try and promote the use of washable reusable cutlery.
Whilst it might be impossible to completely eliminate the use of plastic, see if you can source reusable returnable glass milk bottles instead of throw-away plastic cartons. Did you know that some tea brands have plastic in their bags? Try and opt for brands that avoid using plastic.
Plastic Packaging
If your workplace is heavy on deliveries, ask your suppliers to try and minimise the use of plastic packaging wherever possible to minimise the amount that you need to recycle.
Alternatively, if it’s possible, see if you can return the packaging so that it can be reused.
Cleaning Supplies
If you do your homework, there are now more and more cleaning supplies available on the market that are eco-friendly.
Try and source biodegradable surface cleaning wipes instead of synthetic wipes which contain a lot of plastic (believe it or not!). Also, look out for products which are refillable, keep your plastic bottle/container and buy the refills instead of new plastic products.
Recycling Bins
Provide recycling bins for plastic waste to ensure that where plastic cannot be used again, that it is recycled appropriately rather than disposed of in general waste.
These are just a few of the things that you can do to be a bit more mindful about your use of plastic and help the environment in the meantime. Next time you’re in the shops, take a look at the details of the products you are buying and see how much plastic is contained within them. You might be surprised!
If we all do our bit to make sure that we are using less plastic and where necessary, disposing of it correctly, we can all help to improve our environment. If you need help with recycling waste in your workplace, get in touch with our expert team.