5 Tips To Have A Plastic Free July

You may have heard of Plastic Free July but wondered, where do I even begin? We understand that living a lifestyle constantly surrounded by plastics can muddy the water when trying to come up with a concise list of where to begin. It can leave you feeling as if you will have to omit many products from your lifestyle and live unhappily, but this isn’t the case!

To get you started, here is our guide with give tips to go plastic free for July.

1) Replace those pesky plastic bags!

According to Plastic Free July, there are many negatives to using plastic bags, including:

• Plastic if fatal for animals who mistake it for food or become entangled in it.
• Plastic bags break up into micro plastics and remain indefinitely in the environment.

When you are about to go food shopping, be prepared! By choosing to refuse plastic bags, you can save around 500 plastic bags per year from entering our oceans and landfill.

In the same way that you would ensure you’ve got your car keys, house keys and some money, add reusable bags to that list. We would highly recommend adding them into your boot or car door so that they are always at hand.

There are so many different types of reusable bags to choose from, such as jute or tote bags. One unique reusable bag we would recommend is those from Kind Bag.

This fantastic company transform plastic bottles into their stunning bags, making the perfect way to go shopping plastic free!

2) Avoid plastics in the fruit and veg aisle.

When shopping for fruit and vegetables in the majority of supermarkets there is a ridiculous amount of plastic being used.

Ever thought about why bananas are even covered in plastic when they actually have their own natural packaging? If you’re avoiding plastic bags for taking your shopping home in, why not make the change to reusable produce bags too?

Reusable produce bags come in many sizes, so there is something to suit every type of fruit or vegetable!

3) Replace your cling film – It is so wasteful!

Ever thought about how much plastic you’re wasting every time you throw away piece after piece of cling film? We understand that you need to save leftovers or keep fruit and veggies fresh, but there is an easy alternative – Beeswax wraps!

These natural wraps come in many different prints and sizes, and are both reusable and sustainable. Simply use them to cover bowls or wrap up your foods for freshness!
 

4) Stop buying bottled water – not only is it wasteful, it’s ridiculously expensive for what it is!

The average cost of tap water in the UK is 0.1 pence per litre, compared to 65p for 1 litre of bottled water, according to this study.

If the price alone isn’t shocking enough, a publication on the Parliament website states that “234 million plastic bottles are littered in the UK each year” which is a massive threat to our wildlife and environment, so making a change is vital.

The change is easy – purchase a reusable water bottle! There are many types to choose from, but personally our favourites are those from Neon Kactus. These bottles are glass with a unique, textured anti-slip grip silicone sleeve and a leakproof bamboo lid and come in a range of stunning colours.

5) Invest in a good reusable coffee cup.

As you may know, it really isn’t easy to recycle takeaway coffee cups. Although you may be thinking “but they’re just made of paper”, they actually have a plastic lining meaning that they are not easy to recycle.

It was estimated in 2011 that 2.5 billion coffee cups were thrown away each year. If that doesn’t make you want to make the change to a reusable cup, we don’t know what will!

There really are some fantastic reusable coffee cups out there. From collapsible cups for those on the go, to the classic stainless steel flask, to coffee cups made from old, used coffee cups, there are so many to choose from!
 

Which changes will you be making to go plastic free this July?

For more inspiration, head to Plastic Free July’s website!