Tips & strategies for going an entire month without using plastic
We are all aware that the usage of plastic is detrimental to the environment, wildlife, and our health. Nonetheless, with so many things created from or packaged in plastic (and so much of it being single-use), it appears virtually inevitable. However, it is possible to avoid plastic in the majority of aspects of our lives, if not in all.
We can limit or remove plastic from significant aspects of our daily lives, such as the food and drink we consume, the bags we use, where we buy, and how we amuse ourselves, by making a few conscious decisions, substitutions, and evasions. Why not participate in Plastic Free July if you are interested in reducing your plastic consumption?
What is plastic-free July?
Plastic Free July (plasticfreejuly.org) was launched in 2011 by the Plastic Free Foundation, an Australian non-profit organization with a mission to rid the world of plastic with the idea that tiny actions build-up to make a significant effect.
Plastic Free July has grown from its humble beginnings to become one of the most impactful movements in the world. Each year, millions of individuals from more than 190 countries participate, with many participants pledging to reduce their plastic usage even beyond July.
According to the organization:
• Participants in Plastic Free July lower their annual household waste and recycling by 15 kg per person (3.5 percent less waste).
• In 2021, participants reduced 2,1 billion tonnes of garbage and recycling, including the consumption of 300 million kilograms of plastic.
• By 2021, 86% of individuals will have adopted new habits or a new way of life.
• After eleven years, Plastic Free July has lowered the global demand for bottled water by 2.3%, fruit and vegetable packaging by 3.1%, and plastic straws by 4%.
How can we participate?
The good news is that everyone can participate in Plastic Free July; all it takes is a bit of planning, motivation, and a lot of plastic refusals! Depending on your lifestyle and schedule, you can begin slowly or push yourself to your limits. Here are some suggestions for eliminating plastic from your life.
Eating and drinking
It can be quite difficult to avoid plastic when purchasing or enjoying food and drink, as so much is packaged in annoying plastic.
Try these helpful hints:
• Always carry a refillable water bottle to avoid purchasing water in plastic bottles.
• If you are likely to purchase a hot beverage while out, pack a reusable coffee mug.
• Carry a reusable food storage container, preferably one made of a material other than plastic, such as those sold by Elephant Box (elephantbox.co.uk) or A Slice of Green (asliceofgreen.com). When purchasing food on the move, request that your meal be prepared in your box rather than in a disposable container.
• Pack reusable cutlery in your bag so you may decline disposable knife and fork sets if you ever order takeout. Bamboo and stainless steel kits are both excellent, but bamboo is easier to transport. Also, remember to pack a reusable straw.
Just as purchasing food and beverages for on-the-go consumption can generate plastic waste, so too can purchasing food from a store. In many situations, plastic packaging is unavoidable because it is used to pack so many items. Fortunately, there are a few straightforward things you can do to reduce or eliminate plastic use when shopping:
• Bring your own reusable canvas shopping bags with you when you go shopping.
• If you shop at a supermarket, weigh out and purchase fruit and vegetable loss – the majority of retailers offer this option, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons (which in 2018 began offering an astounding 127 varieties of fruit and vegetable loss!).
• Shop at zero-waste stores, which require you to bring your own containers to weigh out your goods. Likewise, bulk food stores are fantastic.
• Prepare more of your meals and beverages from scratch. Many of the foods we purchase are packaged in plastic; however, if you make everything yourself, you eliminate the plastic intermediary! If you follow a whole-food plant-based diet, you likely already prepare the majority of your own burgers, “sausages,” and desserts, eliminating your need for packaging if you purchase ingredients from zero-waste businesses.
Balloons, streamers, confetti, and banners are all easily replaceable with reusable or plastic-free alternatives. With a little ingenuity and forethought, it is possible to organize a party without any plastic decorations. Popular DIY and/or repurposed decorations include:
• Bunting constructed from discarded magazines, trousers, T-shirts, and scraps of cloth.
• Tissue paper pom poms.
• Banners made out of discarded T-shirts or tablecloths.
• Flower bouquets from your (or a friend's) garden.
• Confetti composed of petals, dried leaves, or discarded newspapers.
• Salt dough ornaments and dangling forms.
Similarly, friends and neighbors can be excellent sources of reusable decorations and handicraft materials. Before making a purchase, you should inquire with individuals nearby to see what you can borrow or obtain. Additionally, avoid throwaway plastic cups and plates and instead borrow crockery and cutlery from friends and family or, if necessary, choose eco-friendly paper cups and plates.
How many toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste do you use annually? If everyone in America followed the American Dental Association's recommendation to replace their toothbrushes every three to four months, almost one billion toothbrushes would be discarded annually (nationalgeographic.com).
The same holds true for toothpaste, with the average person going through seven tubes per year. Plastic toothbrushes are a relatively recent development, as natural-fiber brushes were used until the 1930s when the first plastic brush was created.
However, toothbrushes and toothpaste aren't the only plastic dental products; you should also check what your dental floss is made of and packaged in, as the majority of dental floss is composed of nylon, polyester, PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) Teflon or GoreTex, and nearly all are packaged in plastic. However, it is simple to avoid using plastic in your dental care routine; you may need to make a few substitutions. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
• Replace your plastic toothbrush with one made of bamboo.
• Choose plastic-free dental floss, but keep in mind that many “eco-friendly” flosses are coated in beeswax and are therefore not vegan-friendly. Bambaw (bambaw.com), Tio (tio.care), and &Keep (andkeep.com) are three online retailers that provide refillable, vegan dental floss.
• Utilize toothpaste pills, such as those manufactured by Eco Living (ecoliving.co.uk), &Keep (andkeep.com), and PRLA (parlatoothpastetabs.com).
Period products are a monthly necessity for persons who menstruate. Unfortunately, the majority of popular brands of sanitary products produce plastic-packaged, single-use pads and pantyliners, as well as tampons with plastic applicators. However, this issue can be resolved in a variety of ways by making a few sustainable substitutions in menstrual products. You are challenged to complete one of the following:
- Purchase sanitary products that do not contain plastic. Among the best brands are Organyc (organyc.co.uk) and Flo (hereweflo.co).
• Use reusable pads, such as those from Lady Days (ladydaysclothpads.co.uk), Moontimes (moontimes.co.uk), and Earthwise Girls (earthwisegirlsclothpads.com) (earthwisegirls.co.uk).
• Choose reusable period pants from Dame (wearedame.co) or Cheeky Wipes (cheekywipes.com).
• Switch to tampons made without plastic, such as those sold by Organic Mondays (organicmondays.co.uk), Naracare (natracare.com), and Hey Girls (heygirls.com) (heygirls.co.uk).
Njia za kufanya mwezi mzima bila kutumia plastiki: Kwa mfano, kuna watu ambao wanajua kwamba kutumia plastiki ni hatari kwa mazingira, wanyama wa porini na afya yetu. Hata hivyo, kwa kuwa vitu vingi vimetengenezwa au kupakuliwa kwa plastiki (na mengi ni ya matumizi moja), inaonekana kuwa haiwezekani. Hata hivyo, ni uwezekano wa kuepuka plastiki katika sehemu nyingi za maisha yetu, kama si katika yote. Tunaweza kupunguza au kuondoa plastiki kutoka kwa mambo muhimu ya maisha yetu ya kila siku, kama vile chakula na vinywaji tunavyokula, mifuko tunayotumia, mahali tunaponunua, na jinsi tunavyojifurahisha, kwa kufanya maamuzi machache ya ufahamu, ubadilishaji, na kuepuka. Kwa nini usishiriki katika Julai ya Bure ya Plastiki ikiwa una nia ya kupunguza matumizi yako ya plastiki? Ni nini Julai isiyo na plastiki? "Plastic Free July (PfJ) ni mpango wa kimataifa ulioanzishwa mwaka 2011 na shirika la Australia la ""Plastic Free Foundation"" ambalo linakusudia kuondoa plastiki katika mazingira ya dunia kwa kutumia hatua ndogo-ndogo." Mwezi Julai bila plastiki umekua kutoka mwanzo wake wa unyenyekevu kuwa moja ya harakati zenye athari kubwa zaidi ulimwenguni. Kila mwaka, mamilioni ya watu kutoka nchi zaidi ya 190 wanashiriki, na washiriki wengi wanaahidi kupunguza matumizi yao ya plastiki hata baada ya Julai. "Kulingana na shirika hilo, ""Washiriki katika Julai ya Bure ya Plastiki hupunguza taka zao za kila mwaka na kuchakata kwa kilo 15 kwa mtu mmoja (pamoja na taka ya asilimia 3.5)." Katika mwaka wa 2021, washiriki walipunguza tani bilioni 2.1 za taka na kuchakata, ikiwa ni pamoja na matumizi ya kilogramu milioni 300 za plastiki. Kufikia mwaka 2021, asilimia 86 ya watu watakuwa wamepokea tabia mpya au njia mpya ya maisha. Baada ya miaka kumi na moja, Julai ya Bure ya Plastiki imepunguza mahitaji ya maji ya chupa kwa 2.3%, vifurushi vya matunda na mboga kwa 3.1%, na matete ya plastiki kwa 4%. Twaweza kushirikije? Habari njema ni kwamba kila mtu anaweza kushiriki katika Julai ya Bure ya Plastiki; inahitajika tu kidogo ya mipango, motisha, na kura ya kukataa plastiki! Kulingana na mtindo wako wa maisha na ratiba yako, unaweza kuanza polepole au kujisukuma hadi kwenye mipaka yako. Hapa kuna mapendekezo kadhaa ya kuondoa plastiki katika maisha yako. Ni vigumu sana kuepuka plastiki wakati wa kununua au kufurahia chakula na kinywaji, kwani mengi ni packaged katika plastiki annoying. Jaribu vidokezo hivi: • Sikuzote chukua chupa ya maji inayoweza kujazwa tena ili uepuke kununua maji katika chupa za plastiki. • Ikiwa huenda ukatafuta kinywaji moto utakapokuwa nje, weka kikombe cha kahawa kinachoweza kutumiwa tena. • Kuchukua chombo cha kuhifadhi chakula kinachoweza kutumiwa tena, ikiwezekana moja iliyotengenezwa kwa nyenzo nyingine isipokuwa plastiki, kama vile zile zinazouzwa na Elephant Box (elephantbox.co.uk) au Slice of Green (asliceofgreen.com). Unapopanga chakula cha siku moja, tafadhali hakikisha chakula chako kimeandaliwa ndani ya sanduku badala ya ndani ya chombo cha kutumiwa mara moja. • Pakiti vifaa vya kupasha chakula vinavyoweza kutumiwa tena katika mfuko wako ili uweze kukataa seti za visu na uma zinazotumiwa mara moja ikiwa utaagiza chakula cha kuchukua. Vifaa vya mianzi na vya chuma kisicho na kutu ni vyema, lakini mianzi ni rahisi kusafirisha. Pia, kumbuka kubeba kijiti kinachoweza kutumiwa tena. Kama vile ununuzi wa chakula na vinywaji kwa ajili ya matumizi ya on-the-go inaweza kuzalisha taka ya plastiki, hivyo pia inaweza kununua chakula kutoka duka. Katika hali nyingi, vifurushi vya plastiki haviwezi kuepukika kwa sababu hutumiwa kufunga vitu vingi sana. Kwa bahati nzuri, kuna mambo machache ya moja kwa moja unaweza kufanya ili kupunguza au kuondoa matumizi ya plastiki wakati wa ununuzi: • Kuleta mifuko yako ya ununuzi ya kitambaa ya reusable na wewe wakati unakwenda ununuzi. Kwa mfano, katika duka la supermarket, unaweza kupata bidhaa za matunda na mboga, lakini kwa sababu ya idadi kubwa ya bidhaa za matunda na mboga, unaweza kupata bidhaa za matunda na mboga za msimu wa joto. • Ununuzi katika maduka yasiyo na taka, ambayo yanahitaji kuleta vyombo vyako mwenyewe kupima bidhaa zako. Vivyo hivyo, maduka ya vyakula vingi ni mazuri sana. • Panga chakula na vinywaji vingi kutoka mwanzo. Vyakula vingi tunavyonunua vimefungwa katika plastiki; hata hivyo, ukitengeneza kila kitu mwenyewe, utaondoa plastiki! Ikiwa unafuata chakula cha mimea ya chakula chote, labda tayari unaandaa idadi kubwa ya burgers yako mwenyewe, sausages, na desserts, kuondoa haja yako ya ufungaji ikiwa unununua viungo kutoka kwa biashara zisizo na taka. Baluni, vipande vya plastiki, konfeti, na mabango yote yanaweza kubadilishwa kwa urahisi na vitu vingine vinavyoweza kutumiwa tena au visivyo na plastiki. Kwa ustadi kidogo na kufikiri kimbele, inawezekana kupanga karamu bila mapambo yoyote ya plastiki. Vipodozi maarufu vya DIY na au vilivyobadilishwa ni pamoja na: • Bunting iliyojengwa kutoka kwa magazeti yaliyotupwa, suruali, T-shati, na vipande vya kitambaa. • Pompom za karatasi ya kitambaa. • Mabango yaliyofanyizwa kwa T-shati au vitambaa vya meza vilivyotupwa. • Maua kutoka bustani yako (au ya rafiki yako). • Konfeti iliyofanyizwa kwa majani, majani yaliyokaushwa, au magazeti yaliyotupwa. • Vipodozi vya unga wa chumvi na maumbo ya kunyongwa. Vivyo hivyo, marafiki na majirani wanaweza kuwa vyanzo bora vya mapambo na vifaa vya ufundi vinavyoweza kutumiwa tena. Kabla ya kununua kitu, unapaswa kuuliza watu walio karibu ili uone kile unachoweza kukopa au kupata. Pia, epuka vikombe na sahani za plastiki za kutupwa na badala yake mkopesha vyombo na vyombo vya chakula kutoka kwa marafiki na familia au, ikiwa ni lazima, chagua vikombe na sahani za karatasi za mazingira. Unatumia brashi na dawa ya meno ngapi kwa mwaka? Ikiwa kila mtu katika Amerika angefuata mapendekezo ya Chama cha Daktari wa Meno cha Marekani ya kubadilisha brashi zao kila baada ya miezi mitatu hadi minne, karibu brashi bilioni moja za meno zingetupwa kila mwaka. Vivyo hivyo kwa dawa ya meno, ambapo kwa wastani mtu hutumia mirija saba kwa mwaka. Brushes za meno za plastiki ni za hivi karibuni, kwa kuwa brushes za nyuzi za asili zilitumiwa hadi 1930 wakati brush ya kwanza ya plastiki ilipoundwa. Hata hivyo, brashi za meno na toothpaste si tu bidhaa za meno za plastiki; unapaswa pia kuangalia nini floss yako ya meno imetengenezwa na imefungwa, kwani wengi wa floss ya meno ni nylon, polyester, PFAS (Per- na Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), Teflon au GoreTex, na karibu zote zimefungwa katika plastiki. Hata hivyo, ni rahisi kuepuka kutumia plastiki katika utaratibu wako wa utunzaji wa meno; huenda ukahitaji kufanya mabadiliko machache. Hapa kuna mapendekezo ya kuanza: • Badilisha mswaki wako wa plastiki na mswaki wa mianzi. • Chagua kitambaa cha meno kisicho na plastiki, lakini kumbuka kwamba vitambaa vingi vya meno "vyovutia mazingira" vimefunikwa kwa nta ya nyuki na kwa hiyo si vyenye kuvutia kwa mboga. Bambaw (bambaw.com), Tio (tio.care), na &Keep (andkeep.com) ni wauzaji watatu wa mtandaoni ambao hutoa nyuzi za meno za vegan zinazoweza kujazwa tena. • Tumia dawa za meno, kama vile zile zinazotengenezwa na Eco Living (ecoliving.co.uk), &Keep (andkeep.com), na PRLA (parlatoothpastetabs.com). Vifaa vya kipindi ni mahitaji ya kila mwezi kwa watu ambao wana hedhi. Kwa bahati mbaya, bidhaa nyingi maarufu za vifaa vya usafi wa mwili hutengeneza vifuniko vya plastiki vya matumizi moja na vifuniko vya pantyliners, na pia tamponi zenye vifaa vya plastiki. Hata hivyo, tatizo hilo linaweza kutatuliwa kwa njia mbalimbali kwa kutumia bidhaa fulani za kudumu katika bidhaa za kawaida. Unashtakiwa kukamilisha mojawapo ya mambo yafuatayo: - Nunua bidhaa za usafi zisizo na plastiki. Miongoni mwa bidhaa bora ni Organyc (organyc.co.uk) na Flo (hereweflo.co). • Tumia vipodozi vinavyoweza kutumiwa tena, kama vile vya Lady Days (ladydaysclothpads.co.uk), Moontimes (moontimes.co.uk), na Earthwise Girls (earthwisegirlsclothpads.com) (earthwisegirls.co.uk). • Chagua suruali za kipindi vinavyoweza kutumiwa tena kutoka kwa Dame (wearedame.co) au Cheeky Wipes (cheekywipes.com). • Badilisha kwa tamponi zilizotengenezwa bila plastiki, kama vile zile zinazouzwa na Organic Mondays (organicmondays.co.uk), Naracare (natracare.com), na Hey Girls (heygirls.com) (heygirls.co.uk).