Choose to refuse

Will you join in with Plastic Free July and choose to refuse single-use plastics?

According to WRAP, the climate action NGO, the world produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year. And around a third of all plastic packaging put on the global market leaks from collection systems, polluting the environment. As plastic waste does not tend to decompose, it can last for centuries in landfill sites or can end up polluting soil, rivers and oceans, harming the creatures that inhabit these areas.

Time to take action

Plastic Free July is a global movement that started life in Australia in 2011, and has since spread to 190 countries, inspiring over 100 million participants. This year’s organisers are aiming for even more people to sign up to refuse single-use plastics and be part of the Plastic Free July challenge. Individuals, communities and businesses are all encouraged to take small, daily actions to create long-lasting habits that minimise single-use plastic.

On a larger scale, the Plastic Free July challenge aims to kick-start long-lasting solutions and influence businesses and governments to take action to:

Improve recycling
Follow local recycling guides and put items in the right bin. Petition governments to require businesses to use recycled plastic in their products and packaging.

Embrace a circular economy
Encourage businesses and organisations to move away from the concept of “take, make and throw away”, towards a circular economy that promotes recycling and the reuse of materials.

Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
Push businesses to own the product management lifecycle. This involves producers considering the end-of-life of the products they sell and making it easy for customers to dispose of products thoughtfully. Container deposit schemes are a good example of this – they reduce beverage container litter by an average of 40 per cent and increase recycling too.

Say goodbye to the big four!

The four most prolific items of single-use plastic are:

• plastic bags
• water bottles
• takeaway coffee cups
• plastic straws

Will you take up the challenge?

Here are some simple ways that you can reduce your consumption of single-use plastic:

• Bring a reusable coffee cup or dine-in at your local café
• Find plastic-free alternatives when buying fruit and vegetables
• Bring your own reusable shopping bags and help reduce plastic waste
• Refuse plastic straws when buying a drink and bring your own reusable alternative
• Bring your own reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones
• Plan ahead and avoid pre-packed bread, rolls and baked goods
• Avoid the plastic trays used for meat, fish and deli items
• Buy food loose or in bulk
• Swap disposable razors for reusable alternatives
• Swap liquid soap for bar soaps

To be part of the Plastic Free July movement and learn more, visit www.plasticfreejuly.org