Plastic Free July: five ways to purge pesky plastic

If you’re looking to help the planet and remove a little more plastic from your daily life, take a look at our five top tips.

You don’t need us to tell you that plastics aren’t great from the planet. In fact, you’ve probably already got a reusable water bottle somewhere in your bag. But how can we be less plastic, more fantastic? 

This month is Plastic Free July, so we’ve put some thought into how we can actively reduce plastic usage in our communities and beyond. Never heard of Plastic Free July? Started in 2011, Plastic Free July is now the key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation. In 2024, Plastic Free July involved 174 million people across the world and the initiative has collectively avoided over 12 million tonnes of waste, including 1.7 million tonnes of plastic in the past six years alone.

To mark Plastic Free July, we’ve put together our top five ways to give plastic the boot.

Pledge to refuse single-use plastic

In recent years, most people have become more aware of the issues caused by single use coffee cups or water bottles, and cafés and coffee shops have got better at choosing more environmentally-friendly products. Unfortunately, items like disposable coffee cups are not recyclable in most places, and coffee cups labelled as compostable often require specific facilities meaning that they frequently end up in landfill. The single best way to avoid single-use plastics when you’re out and about is to pack your own. It takes a moment or two more in the morning, but having your own reusable cup or bottle to hand saves the world from another discarded plastic item with every use.

Single-use plastics can also include things like cutlery or straws. In the UK, the sale of single use plastic cutlery was banned in January 2024, while the use of plastic straws was simply restricted. According to the government guidelines, catering establishments can supply straws but they shouldn’t be on display or even offered – only given to customers on request. If you are offered a plastic straw, be sure to refuse it unless you absolutely need it. Straws are so light that they easily make it into drains and waterways, ending up in rivers and oceans. A seemingly innocuous plastic straw can easily get stuck in the airways of an animal or be mistaken for food and ingested, with fatal consequences.

Plan your produce

Since mandatory charges for shopping bags arrived in the UK around a decade ago, we’ve adapted pretty well to hitting the supermarkets with our bags for life and a bundle of tote bags. But there’s still work to be done.

Think about all the different types of plastic packaging you bring home in your weekly shop – meat and fish packaging, bags of veg, packets of rice and lentils, even baked goods in packaging – all plastic. It’s true that all of these different types of food can be bought plastic-free at butchers, markets, and refill shops – but at the same time, it would be totally impractical to suggest that you head to five different shops for your weekly groceries. 

Our suggestion is to pick one or two manageable ways to reduce your produce packaging. You could opt for loose fruit and veg either at the supermarket or at a local market (it also means you can pick the produce you really like the look of), ask the bakery to put your loaf in a cloth bag rather than in plastic, or plan a monthly trip to your local refill shop for pulses, grains and other dried goods. 

Clean up your act

If you look around your bathroom or under the kitchen sink and see a sea of single-use plastic bottles, ask yourself, what can I swap out for a plastic-free or reusable alternative? Again, it would be unrealistic to suggest that you change everything overnight, so start small.

Aside from getting cleaning products and toiletries from a refill shop, there are a number of brands which will deliver plastic-free household cleaning items on a regular basis. Better still, make your own. A simple all-purpose cleaner can be made using equal parts white vinegar mixed with water, and if you’re concerned about your house smelling like a chip shop just pop in a few drops of essential oil or some lemon rind and a sprig of rosemary. Try swapping out synthetic cleaning cloths and sponges made of natural fibres as these can be composted at the end of their lifespan. 

If you’re looking to reduce plastic on your toiletry shelf, then switch out your shower gel for a fancy bar of soap, or try out a refillable deodorant, a reusable toothbrush or a plastic-free razor. Most tampons and sanitary towels contain single-use plastic, so for women who menstruate, there are a number of reusable options like period undies, menstrual cups or washable pads depending on what works best for your lifestyle. As an added bonus, these often work out to be significantly cheaper over time compared to disposable items.

Dress naturally

According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, one lorryload of clothes goes into landfill or is incinerated every second. Yikes! So how can we halt fast fashion in its tracks and make more planet-friendly fashion choices?

Firstly, consider which materials you’re buying. Fast fashion is dependent on cheap synthetic fibres like nylon or polyester, which aren’t particularly breathable and shed microplastics into the environment. Clothing made from natural fibres such as hemp, silk, linen and wool are often more comfortable, durable and can be upcycled more easily. 

We all love a bargain and second-hand shops are a great way to find new looks. Take it a step further and seek out clothes swap events when you’re bored of your wardrobe, as one person’s unloved items can be another’s inspiration!

Engage others

We won’t all stop using plastic straws, bottles and packaging overnight – it’s part of an ongoing process of sharing information and changing our habits. So why not try to engage those around you by encouraging them to take on some of the changes we’ve mentioned. 

If you find a plastic-free product that works well for you, tell your friends and family all about it. If you’re heading to the refill shop, ask your family members or housemates if they need anything or want to come with you.

You could also challenge yourself to give plastic-free presents to your nearest and dearest. A stylish water bottle or reusable coffee cup makes a great gift, as does a reusable jar or bag filled with treats from your favourite bakery or refill shop.

Finally, you can even take your commitment one step further by joining people around the world this Plastic Free July and making a plastic free pledge.

If you’re looking to do more to reduce waste, why not check our blogs on easy ways to recycle more and 10 simple ways to reduce food waste.

Feeling inspired to follow a green career, then take a look at our Top 10 Green Careers: Working to support the planet.

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