It’s Plastic-Free July this month, a global movement designed to help people reduce their consumption of single use plastics and clean up our oceans, rivers and communities. Not only is this good for the planet, it’s crucial for our health, with microplastics having been found in various human tissues and fluids, including our ovaries, blood, and even the placenta of pregnant women.
Fancy giving Plastic-Free July a go? Here are a few easy things you can do to cut down on plastic and find plastic-free alternatives to your favourite products.
1. Sustainable shopping
Go into any supermarket and it’s almost impossible to buy what you want without also getting a shed load of unnecessary plastic food packaging with it. Think about what you’re putting in your basket and whether you can avoid the plastic. Can you swap your usual packaged fruit and veg for loose bits? Can you buy your bread in paper bags rather than plastic?
If you want to make life easier for yourself, get signed up for a fruit and veg box. Companies like Abel & Cole and Riverford Organics will deliver to your door in recyclable cardboard boxes. Otherwise, find a local market or farm shop, which will usually have paper bags to put produce in rather than plastic.
2. Bag a reusable bag
Single use shopping bags take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Every year, the world will use 5 trillion of them, with less than 1% being recycled.
Do your bit and say NO to plastic bags at the checkout. Be prepared and take your own bag with you if you’re going shopping. We love these Turtle Bags which squish down very small but hold a surprising amount (and look cool too!).
3. Detox your bathroom from plastic
It’s the bathroom in the spotlight next. How many plastic bottles do you have in there? Now think about all the bathrooms in the world. That’s a lot of plastic.
So, look at what you’re using and how you can cut back on the plastic, or cut it out altogether. Consider swapping your hand soaps and shower gels for bars of soap. Friendly soaps offer a range of loose soaps that smell amazing – all available in store at just £2.50 each. We love the brand Ben & Anna and their range of eco-friendly beauty products – from plastic-free deodorants to toothpastes, bath salts to lip balms. We are also big fans of Our Tiny Bees, a Yorkshire-made brand selling 100% natural skincare with lots of plastic-free options. From Earth to Earth also make a plastic-free range of toothbrushes, cotton buds and lots more!
Shop ourfull range of natural plastic-free body care, haircare, and skincare.
And did you know we also do refills of shampoos, conditioners, body wash in store, as well as a wide range of cleaning products?
4. Coffee and water bottles
It’s easy to buy plastic water bottles when we’re on the go, but think about where that plastic is going to end up (the depressing answer is that 12.7 million tonnes of it ends up in the sea). Instead, get a reusable water bottle and keep it with you to fill up when you need it. Our favourites: We love these beautiful Supernova Living bottles, perfect for water or taking your smoothie on the go.
99.75% of our disposable coffee cups don’t get recycled, which, for a nation as addicted to tea and coffee as we are, poses quite a problem. Look out for compostable cups, or bring your own – many coffee chains, like Pret, Costa, Starbucks and Cafe Nero, will give you a discount if you use your own cup. We recently invested in a couple of these Keep Cups, which we take down to our favourite local coffee shop.
5. Plastic free period
The average woman will use 11,000 tampons or pads in her lifetime. Many of these menstrual products contain plastic – some pads are made up of 90% plastic, and many tampons contain polyester materials and come wrapped in plastic or with plastic applicators. Sadly, many of these products end up in the sea, causing damage to our environment.
Luckily there are lots of natural, plastic-free alternatives out there. Menstrual cups are made of silicone and can be used for 10 years. If you can’t face a menstrual cup or reusable pads, Natracare’s products are made with organic cotton, are biodegradable and compostable – better for you and the environment.
A final word…
Finally, think about what’s in the products you use. We’re all aware that drinking straws and cotton buds contain plastic, but did you know that many tea bags, wet wipes and wrapping paper do too? Chewing gum, made with synthetic rubber, causes 100,000 tonnes of plastic pollution every year.
It’s worth doing your research and taking a moment to think about whether you need that product, or can find a plastic-free alternative. Small behavioural changes can make a big difference to help you cut down on plastic. After all, we’ve got to look after our beautiful planet!
Shop the full range of plastic-free and sustainable products on our website or in store. And check out more info on the Plastic-Free Foundation and their tips to ditch the single-use plastic here.