How cool is it that Plastic Free July is totally a thing now? But for those of who have already banned plastic bags, plastic straws, and plastic coffee cups from our daily routines, what’s the next step? We have to admit, it’s pretty overwhelming trying to figure out what piece of plastic takes priority when literally, everywhere you look...you notice more plastic! Well in the essence of "starting somewhere," let us present to you our Plastic Free July Challenge - Phase 2.
This month we challenge you to:
-
Pick one thing in the house and try a plastic-free alternative. There’s pretty much an alternative for everything these days and Plastic Free July is a great reason to try something new and earth-friendly. We decided to go with dental care. We’re going to give these little toothpaste tablets that come in a glass jar a try - Well Dental Tablets, as well as this natural dental floss - Corn Starch Floss Picks. Other ideas of plastic-free alternatives to try include - sponges, shampoo, hair ties, tampons, garbage bags, fabric softeners...you name it, it's out there.
-
Learn about wine corks and find brands that use natural corks instead of plastic ones. Alright, here's a cool fun fact, so wine drinkers - listen up! Unlike the majority of human created industries, the cork industry doesn’t destroy our natural resources in the harvesting process. In fact, the harvesting process actually contributes to the cork oak forest regeneration and it is the cork industry that makes the continuity of the cork forest viable. It’s been said that in Portugal alone (where the largest cork oak forest is located) there is enough cork to sustainably meet the entire market demand for the next 100 years. But plastic corks are cheaper to produce and so they’ve created competition for our natural cork suppliers. It’s hard to tell what type of cork you’re getting every time you buy a bottle of wine, but luckily someone created an app for that! Well, it’s not actually an app, but CORKwatch is a searchable database of wine brands and cork types that you can bookmark on your phone and take with you. Make it a habit to start buying wines made with natural corks, and use Plastic Free July to start!
-
Buy only sustainable clothing, reused clothing, or no clothing at all for the month of July. Fashion is still the second largest polluting industry next to oil, and most brands don't care about where their waste ends up or how many toxins were released into the environment while making their fabrics. But the good news? There are literally a gazillion sustainable clothing brands out there that do care! Don't be fooled into thinking REVOLVE is the only place that sells cute dresses.
- Before you purchase anything online, ask the seller what their packaging consists of. Do a little digging, find out the details, and tell them you’re not interested in buying products wrapped in plastic. If they aren’t willing to ditch the plastic, we need to show them that we aren’t willing to risk the future of our planet for their products.
Are you participating in #PlasticFreeJuly? Share this post on social media and include your tips for reducing plastic consumption this month!
0 comments