Could You Go Without Plastic For An Entire Month?
Plastic Free July aims to raise awareness of the problems with single-use plastic. Disposable water bottles, plastic toothbrushes, plastic bags and straws are some of the many items that we use for a few minutes, but that last a lifetime.
Are you ready to pledge your commitment to a Plastic Free July? Here are our simple tips to avoid, reduce and reuse!
A sustainable alternative to plastic toothbrushes
In Australia, over 30 million plastic toothbrushes are used and disposed of every year. Bamboo toothbrushes are now commonly available and because they are made out of natural materials they do not pollute the environment! We love PearlBar's Bamboo Toothbrush because they’re biodegradable and the bristles are infused with activated charcoal, an all natural whitening ingredient.
Plastic free picnic or BBQ
Who doesn’t love a picnic! Eating outside, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Bliss. But have you ever thought about how much single use plastic can go into eating outdoors? Plastic cutlery, plastic cups, plastic containers for food, food wrapped in plastic, plastic bags and the list goes on. Here are our five tips for a plastic-free picnic:
1. Make your own dips and biscuits. It’s all too easy to panic-buy a pack of supermarket hummus and biscuits but they are often unhealthy and you end up with a lot of a lot of needless plastic packaging.
2. Bring drinks in a reusable bottle (and make sure to encourage others to do the same!)
3. When buying food, choose unpackaged products to minimise unnecessary plastic packaging. If bringing sandwiches, keep them fresh in beeswax wraps.
4. Bring reusable cutlery and plates. Encourage everyone to bring their own and you'll save time on washing up.
5. Remember to carry extra containers for leftovers, including spares just in case anyone forgets.
Refuse plastic bin liners
Bin liners are often overlooked when we think about plastic pollution. Unfortunately like all plastic they have a devastating impact on the environment. Here are a few alternatives to consider:
- Line the bin with newspaper
- Use compostable bin liners
- Try using the bin without paper or liners, simply wash it out as needed
The Big Four – plastic water bottles, single-use coffee cups, plastic bags and straws
These four items are the biggest contributors to plastic pollution, and all of which can be avoided.
Plastic Water Bottles - Plastic pollution poses a huge threat to our planet and our marine wildlife
Coffee Cups - Australians consume more than 50,000 cups of coffee every half hour. That's a lot of coffee! Unfortunately coffee cups are rarely recycled. This puts heavy burden on our environment and fills up our landfills. Brewing at home is a great way to save some money and still enjoy your daily cup of coffee. For coffee on-the-go, purchase a coffee cup replacement.
Plastic Bags - What do Sea Turtles eat? Unfortunately, plastic bags. Depending on where you live in the world, plastic bags may already be banned but the impact will be felt for many years to come. It's always a good idea to have several reusable bags on hand to avoid purchasing them when you are out shopping.
Plastic Straws - For most of us it is possible to drink most beverages without a straw. For those that can't (the elderly/sick) buy a reusable stainless steel, glass or bamboo straw.
Good luck on your plastic free journey throughout July and beyond!