Tips for avoiding single-use plastic this month (and all year long)!
Plastic Free July is a global movement that challenges people to go one month without using any single-use plastic. The goal of this challenge is to encourage people to be more mindful of how much plastic they consume, find sustainable and reusable alternatives to the plastics they consume most, and to develop new ocean-friendly habits that will last not just this month, but a lifetime.
Whether you’re new to the challenge or a seasoned pro, we’ve highlighted some of their best tips for folks at every stage of this journey. Take the challenge now!
If you’re new to the clean ocean movement, focus on eliminating...
- Single-use plastic shopping bags and produce bags at the grocery store, farmer’s market, and other retail shops; our reusable bags can help
- Single-use plastic straws; our reusable and collapsible travel straw is a great alternative
- Single-use plastic water bottles and coffee cups; shop our reusable drinkware to find the ideal alternative for you
- Single-use plastic utensils when eating out; our bamboo utensils are a convenient grab-and-go alternative
- Bakery items that come pre-packaged in plastic containers
- Meat, fish, and deli items packaged with styrofoam trays and cling wrap
While refusing single-use plastic is always ideal, there may be times where you can’t avoid it. In those situations, consider what you can do to:
- Reduce the amount of plastic you consume; for example, you could buy in bulk instead of shopping weekly
- Reuse plastic waste; for example, you could wash and reuse takeout containers for leftovers instead of tossing them in the trash
- Recycle the plastic you can’t avoid whenever possible
Just remember that not all plastic is recyclable and not all curbside programs accept the same types of plastic. Plastic Free July is an excellent opportunity to revisit your local recycling guidelines and make sure you’re following best practices.
When you shop our single-use alternatives, you’ll pull one pound of trash from the ocean for every product sold while decreasing the demand for single-use plastic and preventing more plastic from entering the ocean.
If you’ve covered the basics and want to do more at home, challenge yourself to...
- Celebrate birthdays and other events with plastic-free decorations
- Shop in bulk and opt for loose foods to avoid plastic packaging
- Stop and think about whether a purchase is really necessary; if it is, ask whether there are low-waste or zero-waste options and invest in those
- Invest in a reusable alternative to your disposable razors
- Swap liquid hand and body soaps for bar soaps that aren’t packaged in plastic
- Try sustainable and reusable alternatives for sanitary items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, tampons, and pads
Get more tips on how to take your plastic free journey to the next level.
If you want to expand the challenge into other areas of your life, check out these additional resources from Plastic Free July
- Plastic Free July at work
- Plastic Free July at school
- Plastic Free July in your community
- Plastic Free July at events
- Plastic Free July with your local government
- Plastic Free July if you own a business
Our One Pound Promise
4ocean is on a mission to end the ocean plastic crisis by recovering trash that’s already polluting the ocean while educating the global community about plastic pollution and empowering individuals to end their reliance on single-use plastic.
Every 4ocean product you purchase funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean and brings us one step closer to our goal of a plastic free ocean. Shop now and pull a pound of trash in honor of Plastic Free July.
Still looking for more information? Feel free to email us at info@4ocean.com or comment on our social media pages.