The cheat's guide to Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July started in WA in 2011 and is now a global movement. It’s a month for learning about plastic alternatives and making conscious changes to your lifestyle to reduce the plastic in your life.
At Unpackaged we are all about making life easier, so you’ll love our cheat’s guide to Plastic Free July!
Plastic Free July is a great opportunity to work smarter - not harder - at reducing your plastic footprint.
Did you know that it takes over 600 years for a piece of plastic to break down, and even then it only turns into nurdles (tiny pieces of plastic that are still super harmful to animals and the environment.)
Nurdles have been found in meat, water, and even beer!
Here is our cheat’s guide to Plastic Free July, where you can have a big impact with little effort.
1. Get inspired and get educated.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
Educate yourself on plastic pollution. Watch a documentary or TV series, read a blog, grab a book from your local library on plastic alternatives.
Once you have more knowledge you can then start putting some changes into practice.
At the very least you’ll have some interesting facts to chat about with your mates - and a night in front of the tv with a purpose.
Have you seen our blog about the top TV shows & documentaries to watch about plastic pollution?
Catch it here.
2. Don’t beat yourself up - you don’t need to be perfect.
We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly.
We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.
Anne Marie Bonneau
Unless you are some sort of superstar zero-waste legend, then be prepared for learning opportunities (not mistakes) to crop up.
If you happen to buy your lunch and it comes in a plastic container then take that container home and RE-USE it, then make a mental note to remember your own container for the next day.
If your drink comes with a straw then you’ll need to remember to ask for “no straw” going forward - grab yourself a reusable straw, or go without one.
Even one small change from your plastic consumption habits can have a massive flow-on effect on the environment. Our top tips for cutting plastic in your life.
3. Redcycle - the easiest way to recycle your soft plastics.
We've found a lot of people don’t even know this awesome initiative exists….and it’s right in your Woolworths & Coles supermarkets and it’s FREE!
If you can scrunch it, chances are you can REDCYLCE it.
If you have space in your kitchen or cupboard grab a bag and start stuffing your plastics in it. When you head to the supermarket next, you’ll find a large REDCYCLE bin and you can dump all of those pesky plastic bags, bread bags, biscuit wrappers, frozen veggie bags and lolly wrappers right in there.
The exciting thing about REDCYCLE is that all of these plastics are recycled into outdoor furniture, bollards and signage.
4. Commit to only 1 or 2 things at a time.
Habits die hard….plastic never disappears.
So we recommend making just 1 or 2 changes for your first Plastic Free July challenge.
The easier the swap, the easier it is to maintain.
Our recommendation for an easy swap is toothbrushes.
When you next need to buy a toothbrush go for a bamboo toothbrush.
In Australia, over 100 million plastic toothbrushes are consumed every year. Our used plastic toothbrushes take over 500 years to degrade causing land, air, and water pollution.
This adversely affects wildlife, the environment, and us. Let’s swap your plastic toothbrush with a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.
