Today is the first day of Plastic Free July! It’s a month that calls attention to the global issue of single-use plastic waste.
“Starting out in 2011 as a local initiative of the Western Metropolitan Regional Council in Western Australia, the Plastic Free July challenge has rapidly grown into a global movement engaging millions of people in more than 170 countries around the world. The campaign encourages citizens and businesses to change their behaviour in favour of avoiding single-use plastics and reducing plastic waste.”
Plastic Free July has become one of the hallmarks of the zero waste movement. Each year, millions of people commit to reducing their plastic consumption for one month, with impacts reaching far beyond the 31 days of the month. It may be harder right now, with the pandemic and shutdowns banning the use of reusables in many states, but reducing is still possible.
Plastic Free July is a great step to choose one or two habits and commit to them. Find something that will help you reduce waste & is something that you will be able to follow through on. Completely ridding yourself of every plastic thing may not be a reasonable goal, but making a commitment to not purchase any snack items packaged in plastic is not only attainable, but it’s measurable. You know whether or not it’s something you’ve been able to accomplish or not.