Plastic Free July

This month hosts Plastic Free July, a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Their site offers resources and ideas to help millions around the world reduce their single use plastic waste.

Why is getting rid of pesky plastic so important? Plastic takes up to 400 years to decompose, on top of that, just about one garbage truck worth of plastic is dumped into our oceans every minute. At this rate, our oceans will have more plastics than fish in it by the year 2050. The plastic crisis doesn’t only affect our oceans though, it affects our day to day lives. An average person consumes 70,000 microplastics each year, according to a report published in Environmental Pollution. Crazy, right?

Becoming 100% plastic free is almost impossible in today’s day. So how do we fight back against this giant plastic monster that consumes our world on a daily basis? Plastic Free July has some great resources for you to use to help you strive towards a plastic free lifestyle. Don’t think you’re ready to go for the full month? That’s okay, baby steps still get you where you want to go! Simple switches like reusable bags and doing away with plastic straws can still make a big impact in the long run. Remember, we are all in this together. We can accomplish so much when we work together to learn, inspire, and support one another in an accepting community.

In a community where the harm of plastic is talked about regularly, more children will start to choose plastic free options naturally, versus the packaged options they’re offered. This change in behavior is what we need to start turning this around. The next time you get offered a bag for your 3 items at the gas station or when there is the option for produce wrapped in plastic, think to yourself for a second. On a scale of 1 to 500 YEARS, how much do you actually need it?

Join us this month for a plastic free July and learn how you can make small changes to make a big impact. Every day During July we are posting plastic facts to our story on our Instagram, so head over there and give us a follow to remind you why Plastic Free July is so important!