‘Plastic Free July’ is designed to raise much needed conversations about our abhorrent single-use plastic consumption, raise eyebrows and drop jaws at our excessive and mostly unnecessary usage and hopefully evoke change in all of us.
The statistics which accompany this campaign are horrific by anyone’s standards. By 2050, it is predicted there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, we have seen images of our oceans choking on garbage and marine carcasses laying on the beach, their bellies full of plastic. The most disturbing statistic though is that every piece of plastic ever made, IS STILL IN EXISTENCE.
Let’s just stay here for a minute and explore this concept…
The plastic plates from your 3rd birthday party in 1972 – still here!
The plastic wrap from around the loo rolls you bought when you first moved out of home – still here!
The cover from your first mobile phone (and all the packaging it came in!) – still here!
The first nappy from your first born… and the last one… and all of the ones in between – still here!
Now think about how many people inhabit this planet, how much we eat, drink, host parties, buy from shops, change nappies and all of the rest in between
– Did your head just explode?
And all for our own selfish convenience…
It actually doesn’t bear thinking about, but the fact is, unless we think about it and act on it, nothing will change and suffocation of the planet, by plastic will be inevitable. So thank you “Plastic Free July” (and beyond!). Let’s talk about it and let’s change. Today. Right now.
Here are some small changes you can incorporate into your life immediately.
They won’t even inconvenience you that much either!
SAY NO TO… SAY YES TO…
| Plastic straws | Reusable metal or glass straws |
| Cling film | Beeswax wraps to cover food, or use glass containers with lids |
| Disposable coffee cups | A keep cup, or god forbid take 5, sit down and have your coffee in the café |
| Plastic cutlery | Re-usable metal cutlery. Keep it in your glove box or handbag |
| Shopping bags | Re-usable cotton/canvas bags (keep them in your car). Or don’t use a bag at all! |
| Flyers/junk mail/receipts | Leave the flyer, say 'no' to junk mail on your letterbox, say 'no' to the receipt. |
| Tissues | Handkerchiefs - get old sckool Grandpa! |
| Plastic water bottles | Use a re-fillable bottle from home |
| Serviettes | Cloth napkins |
| Plastic sandwich bags | Use a container |
Take it beyond July people.. this needs to last a lifetime!
We're doing our bit to help...
In 2017, we moved to 'Waste Free' packaging for our Soapberries and Wool Dryer Balls. We supply bulk food stores with our soapberries so you can weigh your own quantities and store them with something you have at home. We also have wooden storage boxes in our online store for a waste-free, modern, clean and stylish way to store your soapberries. More here...