Plastic Free July – an Annual Challenge to Live Green

If you’ve ever wanted to decrease your plastic use, now is a great time to start! Around the globe, people are celebrating eco-conscious living and challenging themselves to live a Plastic Free July.

Plastic Free July began as a challenge in 2011. Since then, it became a global foundation that encourages people to reduce their plastic usage in the month of July. When you sign up for the challenge you can commit to a day plastic free, a week, all of July, or July and beyond. Last year, 363 million people participated, and on average reduced their waste and recycling by 46 pounds per person per year!

The idea of not using plastic for a month might be overwhelming. It is for me too, plastic is everywhere! But the challenge helps you pick easy, achievable ways to reduce plastic use. Even if you just do one thing to cut back on plastic use, it can be considered a sustainable success!

Plastic production is set to almost quadruple by 2050 – we can’t recycle our way out of this problem. To create a world without plastic waste we need to turn off the tap, not mop the floor.

Rebecca Prince Ruiz, Plastic Free July Founder

The Big Four

What are the top four types of single use plastics used? According to Plastic Free July, they’re plastic water bottles, plastic bags, plastic beverage containers, and straws. The great thing is that there are easy and achievable ways to cut these plastics out. Commit to using reusable water bottes and shopping totes. If there’s a chance you might stop for coffee, grab a reusable coffee cup and straw.

Beyond the Big Four

Once you’ve conquered the Big Four, you’ll find plastic popping up in all sorts of other places in your life. At Emeraldology, we offer plastic free laundry products, kitchen items, and more! This July, explore the countless plastic free alternatives available from small businesses such as ours.

Spread the Plastic Free Joy!

A great thing you can do is spread the word and help others live more sustainably. Let your friends and family know what kind of changes you’ve made this month and how amazing it is to reduce your plastic consumption. Encourage them to subscribe to Emeraldology content! Year round, we share sustainable solutions and easy ways to live a greener life.

---