| July is just around the corner and we can look forward to plenty of summer activities — barbecues, beaches, and best of all Plastic Free July! While we relish longer days and more time outdoors, we can also look around us and make small changes that have a huge impact for our communities, our health and our planet. Join the 100+ million strong movement of refusing single use plastic — there are plenty of places (at home, in restaurants, grocery stores and cafes) as a start and plenty of ways to do just one thing by swapping out plastic with green alternatives. For ideas, start here to make your switch in July. In just 30 days, your small change will take hold and become a habit, maybe one that inspires others to join the movement. Collectively your small change will become part of the collective solution for solving the plastic pollution problem AND if you’re hosting a 4th of July celebration consider some new ways to reduce the single use and impress your guests! What’s the harm in single use plastic? A minute on the lips, a century in the landfill — single use plastics may take us seconds to use, yet their impact on the planet is forever. Every stage of the lifecycle of single use plastic pollutes our planet. Single use plastic production requires significant amounts of fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases. Discarded items like plastic bags, straws, and bottles clog our landfills, landscapes and our oceans. As plastics break down, they emit toxic gases into the air and become microplastics. These microplastics are so small, they easily find their way into our water sources and are ingested by animals and marine life. As you might imagine microplastics also appear in the human food chain. Essentially tiny particles of plastic are everywhere — scientists have even found these particles in the Arctic! If plastic is everywhere, how can one person make a difference? Like plastic, start by breaking it down to small pieces. Think about how often we come across single use plastic throughout the day. What would be the easiest thing to remove from your daily routine? For me, the counter of Starbucks is my reminder that a lot of us start and end our day using single use plastic. Did you know that most of Starbucks’ cups (even the ones for hot coffee) are single use? While the company does promote recycling, most of the materials the cups are made from are not and ultimately that counter full of cups with your favorite drinks end up in a landfil or incineratorsl. Maybe this is your “try it” for July. Start going to your favorite coffee spot with you own cup. Starbucks for example rewards customers who bring their own cups with a $0.10 discount on your drink order and 25 bonus stars added to your account as a Starbucks Rewards member. But that’s just one way to remove more plastic from our planet. |
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| There are hundreds of simple ways to feel good about your contributions in preventing one more piece of plastic from landing in the trash: Be Ready with Reusable Bags: Keep reusable shopping bags & reusable produce bags handy in your car for trips to grocery stores and other errands throughout the day. Reusable bags can also serve another purchase — for putting your fruits and veggies in versus the plastic bags supplied at the grocery store. Look for Products with Minimal Packaging: Where feasible, choose products with minimal or no plastic packaging, and consider buying local produce unpackaged. For purchasing meats and fish, can your preferred grocer package these items in paper versus plastic? Glass & Metal Containers Can Hold and Store Food: Switch from plastic containers to glass or metal options for food storage. Look to glass and metal as alternatives to plastic for packaging food —oils for example can usually be found in both metal and glass containers both easily recyclable materials. Save all the pasta sauce and jelly jars you get to reuse as food storage! Identify Household items that Can Make the Switch to Sustainable Materials: Plastic free solutions are within our reach for the bath, wash and cleaning products. There are plenty of refillable companies for any of your household products including Blueland, Grove Collaborative and Earthhero. Take a look and make the switch – just one product can make a difference! Even going back to something as simple as bar soap makes a difference! Skip the straws and plastic utensils at take-out: Portable metal straws and utensils sets are the perfect plastic replacement and get thousands of uses. Plastic Free July is an opportunity to take the pressure off the planet and do one thing that moves us away from our dependence on single use plastics. With your personal try, you will become more aware of how intertwined plastic is with our daily routines. Your commitment however big or small can lead to broader permanent changes in schools, businesses and organizations. Learn more and join the official Plastic Free July Challenge to create sustainable habits that will last a lifetime. |