5 Tips for Plastic-Free July
Today, plastic has become an integral part of our daily lives and contributes to a large chunk of waste generated every day. The highest disadvantage of plastic is that it is not biodegradable, therefore not compostable and on average globally only 9% is recycled, while 22% is mismanaged. Plastic wastes accumulate in landfills and oceans, pollute the environment and pose a threat to the survival of various species. It is extremely necessary to reduce plastic use and help create a plastic-free earth to control the environmental pollution to the maximum extent.
It is difficult to avoid plastic in our modern-day lifestyles and habits, but if we take some conscious steps, we can easily manage plastic use and reduce its harmful effects to bring some positive outcomes in our lives.
Let’s begin the journey with the Plastic Free July campaign, with a refusal to single-use plastics and enjoy doing this in the time ahead to accomplish our goals of a plastic-free country. Here are some useful but easy tips to avoid plastic use in day-to-day life.
Choose One of These Easy 5 Tips for Plastic Free July:
1. Use of Own Reusable Shopping Bags & Reusable Produce Bags
Most of the carry bags used by shop owners are made of plastic which is handed over to the customer to carry the materials purchased. But eventually, these bags go to waste and pollute the environment. A very good practice is to bring your own reusable bags for shopping that can’t be thrown to waste afterward.
This habit needs to be developed extensively which has a direct impact on the generation of plastic waste. The shopkeepers are bound to stop using plastic carry bags since these have no use. Many prominent cities in the world have already implemented the ban on plastic carry bags as an enforcement measure. But we should all consider it as a responsibility to say no to plastic carry bags and make our environment cleaner. We’d say this is one of the crucial most tips for plastic-free July, and it should be one of the first ones to master.
2. Use Reusable Coffee Cups
While at the workplace, it’s our habit to drink coffee in a disposable cup and throw it in a bin without concerning its end-use. Most of these cups are made of non-biodegradable materials that end up as garbage affecting the environment.
It’s not a great deal to carry a reusable coffee cup in your bag and make perfect use of it during breaks avoiding the use of disposable cups. With a significant reduction in the number of disposable cups thrown away every day, you can contribute to a plastic-free office and work environment and reduce your carbon footprint in the long run.
Related: 45 Catchy No Plastic Slogans
3. Avoid Plastic Containers At Home
Plastic pouches, plastic wraps, and plastic containers for storage are part of our everyday life but need to be evaluated. If you look around you will see many such objects that you use but we’re not giving attention before or taken for granted.
Replace plastic containers with glass jars and go for recyclable and plastic free packaged products. It’s just a matter of choice to bring some meaningful changes in our habits to use plastic-free kitchen & household products that can make a significant impact on our environment.
Let’s give it a try and you will find many more ways to contribute toward a plastic-free month without making a lot of effort. You may have to compromise a little on your convenience but in turn, gain a lot more by ensuring a healthier and cleaner future ahead.
Related: 14 Best Plastic Free Books to Read in 2024
4. Get Rid of Disposable Utensils
The use of spoons and forks and plastic straws is becoming a matter of concern in every part of the world. Plastic cutlery is found to be the most dangerous to sea lives and plastic containers, bottles, and accessories are littering most tourist places.
As responsible citizens, we must not litter our towns, pile up landfills or chock the waterways with plastic disposables. Say no to plastic cutleries and straws while taking away foods and drinks. You have a lot of options to be environment-friendly and save yourself from the consequences of plastic pollution. Replace plastic cutlery such as plastic straws with reusable metal straws.
Related: Plastic-Free July: A First Timers Real Life Experiences Going Plastic Free.
5. Carry a Reusable Water Bottle
Plastic water bottles are used everywhere for the convenience of storing and use. But it has toxic effects on the quality of drinking water on prolonged use or exposure to light. The bottles add nothing but to the garbage after disposal. The more healthy and eco-friendly option is to use bottles made of glass, or stainless steel. These small steps would help address the waste issues caused by plenty of single-use plastic bottles discarded every day. This is a very reasonable way of keeping ourselves safe, healthy, and free from plastic pollution.
Related: How To Go Plastic Free? Your First 10 Items!
Final Thoughts
Increasing plastic pollution is a very serious concern for humanity and we need to do our best to tackle this problem. We are free to make our lifestyle choices, but also should think about how we can make our contribution to address the problem of plastic pollution by taking some conscious and simple steps. We hope that these 5 tips for plastic-free July have helped you decide to give it a go as it might be less daunting than it looks like!
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