25 Creative Ideas for ‘Plastic Free July’
It’s already July!? Wow… the months are zooming by!
I usually try to blog about my Plastic Free July efforts, but this month really got away from me, and to be honest, I’ve been failing at it!
Just today, I was in between appointments at the radio station with my coworkers for a song recording project (more on a later post!) and filming an interview for the same project in Vaitogi which drew out longer than I expected… and I was so hungry that I caved and got an iced coffee that came in a single use plastic cup with a plastic lid… andddd… I had McDonald’s for the first time in more than two years!! It was surprisingly mostly plastic free, except the dip packaging, and the drink lid/straw that I forgot to refuse when I got my order… le sigh*
Anyhow, long story short… I’m still doing my best, but some days, my “best” doesn’t really look very good. Still, I love that an entire month is dedicated to being mindful of our plastic consumption and that there is a growing worldwide movement towards bigger change, just by taking small steps at home.
So to keep myself in check, I wanted to share 25 creative ideas for Plastic Free July… these are ideas that aren’t just about plastics per se, but are about reducing waste in general, and ways to live more mindfully and sustainably.
25 CREATIVE IDEAS FOR ‘PLASTIC FREE JULY’
- DIY unpaper towels
- Carry your cute tote bags everywhere
- Make up a recipe using existing food in your fridge/pantry
- Use a bidet
- Declutter your physical space and digital space
- Clothing swap with friends
- Go thrift shopping
- Practice saying ‘no, thank you’ to politely refuse single use cutlery and straws
- reuse pasta jars
- Ditch plastic water bottles forever
- Go ‘naked’ when choosing fruits and veg
- Learn to mend your clothes to give it new life
- Start a compost
- Grow your own herbs and vegetables
- Host or participate in a beach cleanup
- Switch all paper mail to e-mails instead
- Learn about your town’s recycling programs
- Turn off the lights – conserve energy
- Make your own household cleaners with natural ingredients
- Opt for solid bar soaps, shampoos, and conditioners
- Make food at home instead of eating out
- Start a daily or weekly budget tracker
- Air dry your laundry
- Create your own “zero waste kit“
- Be kind always – it’s free, and good for the planet!
