Plastic-free July is just around the corner and this time I want you to be prepared.
Before we get into it, a quick note: This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may make a small commission if you decide to purchase something through one of my links. Don’t worry, you get the same price! If you purchase through my links it’ll help with various fees that help keep VeggieJeva operational. I appreciate your support!
The Plastic Free July campaign is led by the Plastic Free Foundation, created in 2017 as an independent non-profit organization. According to their website, Plastic Free July also holds an awards event to promote a world without plastic waste.
Although it’s relatively new, this campaign has already made big waves. I understand and believe that corporations are the ones mainly responsible for the state of our world right now, but individual action is a good place to start, as the system operates on a supply & demand basis.
It is important to understand that eliminating plastic from your life won’t be easy, it’s actually essentially impossible. Just as one cannot be 100% vegan in a non vegan world, one cannot be plastic-free while living in a system that perpetuates the use of plastic. So I want you to focus on reduction instead of elimination. Ask your friends & family to join in and support you in creating new long-term habits while reducing plastic consumption.
Where to Start
- Choose unpackaged fruits and veggies: Nowadays most supermarkets sell 90% packaged food. Even fresh fruits and vegetables are victims of this. Instead, pick loose fruit and vegetables at supermarkets, or visit a farmers market where plastic packaging is less often used.
- Say no to plastic bags: Luckily, over the past couple of years, countries all over the world have banned plastic bags at stores and supermarkets. Although some stores have found loopholes and charge extra for the plastic bags instead. Just make sure to always carry a reusable bag when going shopping.
- Get a refillable water bottle: As a person who drinks a lot of water (seriously a lot), changing to a refillable water bottle 4 years ago has been one of the best things I’ve done. Not only have I saved SO much money, I’ve also managed to almost completely eliminate my plastic bottle usage. My top picks are Thermoflask, W&P, and Yeti.
- Get a reusable coffee cup: If you’re the type of person that gets coffee out almost every day, I get you! When I used to work 40hrs at an office, that was my daily thing. But in the last year I’ve really tried to bring a coffee cup with me when I go to a coffee shop. This has been a little bit easier since Four Sigmatic gifted me a collapsible cup (I’ll link one below).
- Say no to plastic straws: Look, unless you’re drinking a really thick drink, there’s really no reason to use straws at all. But if you absolutely have to, purchase a stainless steel or a glass straw that you can carry around with you.
- Limit take-out: Not only can eating take-out constantly be super expensive, but it can also be incredibly damaging to the environment. Between the bag, the styrofoam/plastic bowls and the plastic utensils. Luckily many restaurants are picking up on the plastic-free trend and have switched to biodegradable food packaging and paper bags. When ordering out ask for the least amount of packaging as possible and skip the utensils.
- Reduce, reuse & recycle: This one’s a classic- three r’s for a better planet. Reduce your consumption of plastic, but reuse as much as possible the one that you do end up buying, and recycle the one you can’t reuse.
Things you might want to get for a near Plastic-free life:
- Reusable shopping bags from Mighty Nest
- Reusable cotton produce bags from Mighty Nest
- Reusable food bowl from W&P
What do you think?
Are you planning on purchasing any of the products above? If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment. Tag me on social media when you get the products✨
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