If you’re looking to be more eco-friendly this summer, try out the Plastic-Free July challenge!
Mers love the sea, but it’s currently bogged down with garbage and plastic waste. This challenge is a great way to reduce plastic consumption and prevent more plastic from entering our waterways!
Starting out
The best part of the Plastic-Free July challenge is that you can start wherever you are. If you’ve recently had a desire to reduce how much plastic you use each day, you don’t have to dive in headfirst. Instead, pick one plastic item to cut out and try your best!
Here are some common reusable items to begin on your plastic-free journey1.
- Coffee cups
- Water bottles
- Drinking straws
- Shopping bags
Say you bought a cup of coffee in a disposable cup every day for an entire month. That turns into 31 cups that you threw in the garbage! By opting for a reusable cup, you can use the same cup every day for the month, and even several years into the future.
As you can see, even just cutting out one form of single-use plastics can make a big difference!
Taking additional steps
If you’re already limiting the number of plastic products you buy and throw out, there are more steps you can take to be an eco-friendly mer.
Many of the foods we buy at the grocery store come in plastic and styrofoam packaging, both of which are incredibly damaging to the environment. Try buying fruits and vegetables from the produce section without packaging, and bring your own containers for bulk items like rice and flour. You can even find goods from the bakery without plastic packaging!
Creating lifelong habits
While Plastic-Free July is a fun challenge to try, the purpose is to help others create sustainable habits that last much longer than 31 days. By the end of the month, you’ll see that going plastic-free is much easier than expected!
Before you know it, you’ll be switching to plastic-free items all around the house! Think about items like bamboo toothbrushes, reusable razors, soap and shampoo bars, and reusable party supplies and decorations2. Over a lifetime, that cuts back your plastic consumption significantly.
Try Plastic-Free July all year long!
Plastic pollution damages marine life, and merfolk won’t be the same without them. By reducing the plastic we consume, we can protect the environment and all the life within it!
Find more tips on how to go plastic-free this month here.
Are you going to join the movement? Tell us in the comments which plastic products you’re going to replace in the next month!
1:https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/category/getting-started/
2:https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/category/next-steps/#categories