PLASTIC FREE JULY
I first learned about Plastic-Free July from @plasticfreemermaid on Instagram as I was beginning my journey of ditching single-use plastic and moving towards a Zero Waste lifestyle. The premise of the challenge is to use a whole month to become conscious of our daily plastic consumption and do our best to minimize it. You can join the official challenge and take the pledge here: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
That being said, this year looks a little different. Many of us have adopted waste-free habits, like reusable shopping bags, that are no longer considered safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Containing the spread of COVID-19 also requires some single-use PPE. That’s just the reality of this global moment. Above all, personal and community wellbeing is the the priority and we may need to collectively readjust our expectations when it comes to being 100% plastic-free during an unprecedented public health crisis. So, here are some of my thoughts about still using this month to be mindful and some other impactful ways you can live eco-friendly at home during quarantine.
BONUS: Want my free eBook about eco-friendly habits at home? 👇🏼
So, how am I approaching Plastic Free July this year? I’m taking the challenge as a great opportunity to bring awareness to the waste in my life and the positive changes that I CAN make for the environment. Here are just a few:
Reduce Food Waste
One of the biggest environmental disasters of our day is food waste, with over a third of global food produced ending up uneaten in landfills where it emits a potent greenhouse gas called methane as it breaks down. In fact, if food waste were a nation, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the U.S. and China. You can read more about my best tips for storing and saving food in my blog post here. In the post, I talk about smart food saving, repurposing, and compost ideas. Give some of them a try this month!
Not only does this decrease methane emissions, it saves money as the most expensive food we buy is what is thrown away (think: fresh produce, herbs, and other perishables — these are also items you can often find without a bunch of plastic packaging!)
Opt for DIY
One of the primary ways I reduce plastic in my life is avoiding the plastic tubes and bottles in the personal care world! Not only does plastic leech toxins into the products we put on and in our bodies, it also most-often ends up in a landfill at the end of its lifecycle. There are a few reasons I choose to make my own personal care items:
I KNOW the ingredients and I can be sure there isn’t any mysterious or untested chemicals or fragrances in my products. Once I watched the documentary STINK! I became hyper-aware of the hidden ingredients in our daily products that have hazardous health consequences. Now, I opt for natural, easy DIY’s using simple ingredients like coconut oil, my favourite essential oils, or used coffee grounds or sugar (for scrubs). You can also use baking soda, lemon essential oil, and distilled white vinegar for almost ANY home cleaning needs.
I can avoid non-recyclable plastic packaging! Watch plastic ocean if you need some inspiration about the scale of the global plastic problem! I use the same reusable glass jars for all of my personal care and beauty products — win!
I can avoid synthetic fragrances that are incredibly dangerous for our health! Watch the STINK! movie and learn about how the word “fragrance” alone on a bottle can HIDE thousands of chemicals that don’t need to be disclosed due to a regulatory loophole. See, a company’s “fragrance” is a proprietary trade secret, so they don’t legally need to disclose how they make it. More than 50% of the chemicals hiding in that word are banned in the EU, which uses the precautionary principle when regulating the items they allow on shelves. Scary stuff! I recommend downloading the Environmental Working Group (EWG) phone app called “Healthy Living” that lets you search and scan items and gives you a rating based on the ingredients. They help you identify lurking carcinogens and endocrine disrupting hormones.
Here’s an IGTV video I did about conscious consumerism and how opting for essential oils and DIYs can massively improve the health of both your body and the planet!
Go Meat-Free for a Week
Animal agriculture is one of the largest drivers of climate change. There’s never been a better time to think about a plant-forward diet. Not only has the pandemic put meat in short supply, but there have been countless studies that have linked preventable diet-related co-morbidities (think metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity) to a higher risk of hospitalization. Even prior to the current health landscape, complications from poor diet were already killing ~40,000 Americans each month.
When we shift to regenerative plant-heavy diets, we reverse damage done to our bodies and to the planet — that other impending CRISIS 🌏🔥
🌱 We are perilously bordering the planetary limits that will cause destabilization of critical ecosystems which we depend on for life on Earth.
🌱 Livestock agriculture is the primary driver of environmental degradation, especially greenhouse gas emissions.
🌱 Eating animals is inefficient bc they convert only a percentage of the calories from multiple feed inputs into edible outputs — and emit a tonne of GHGs along the way: 1) nitrous oxide is emitted when feed fertilizer is applied. 2) Ruminant animals emit methane. 3) Livestock systems are responsible for mass-scale land-use changes (like deforestation for soy plantations) that emit carbon dioxide. 4) Point source water pollution occurs from manure lagoon leeching on massive factory farms. 🙄
🌱 In nutritional analyses, health co-benefits were associated with less animal-product consumption. In projections for 2030, premature mortality was reduced by roughly 20% when compared to benchmark diets. That’s 11 million avoidable deaths with the transition to healthier/plant-based diets.
You can read more about the climate-impact of going vegan, even for just a few days a month on my blog post here.
Dispose Responsibly
If you are looking for ways to keep PPE out of landfills, TerraCycle is always a great option for difficult-to-recycle items! Learn about the recycling codes in your local area and check the numbers on your plastic to identify what can be effectively recycled and how to dispose of your item properly. Here’s a handy guide. Ideally, our cumulative plastic will be LOW this month (and always!) but sometimes an interaction with plastic may be unavoidable, especially during the current crises.
Advocacy + Education
There are organizations of all sizes doing great work in the Social and Environmental Justice space. Find ways to support them either with your time, talent, or money. You can also use this time to deepen your understanding of environmental issues or to look into the 2020 Presidential candidates’ stances on climate change and how they plan to prioritize marginalized and vulnerable populations (here is a nice cheatsheet).
Where Should I Start?
It can definitely feel overwhelming as you first start your Zero Waste journey — but we have to start somewhere!
Here are some of my tips:
Do a plastic audit! Take a week in your life and take note of all of the times and places you interact with single-use plastic. Keep a running list in a journal or on your phone. Once you’re aware, you can be prepared and intentional! If you find the most plastic happens in your shower, you can head to Package Free Shop online and purchase a reusable metal razor or package-free shampoo bars. If you find yourself defaulting to plastic water bottles, you can get yourself a reusable waterbottle and put it in your car or bag so you never forget it! If we can identify the problem points, we can work to minimize them!
Dig through your trash — seriously! Add to your list the items you commonly see and notice some habits. This will help you pick a category to start with! Are you throwing away lots of plastic dish soap bottles? Or toothpaste tubes? Or snack packaging? Or you have a habit of testing out tons of different plastic face wash bottles? This is good data to collect!
Once you’ve identified plastic problem-points, it’s time to make a plan. I like to set goals for myself that are specific, attainable, and timely.
Some helpful questions to ask yourself throughout this process:
“Do I really need this?” (minimalism is a powerful mindset shift!)
If you don’t, don’t buy it! If you do, look for a sustainable alternative OR love it so much, use it consciously and with joy, and dispose of it properly! If it feels like a huge sacrifice to give up, don’t start with that item! There are probably low hanging fruit swaps that you can make that don’t feel like a sacrifice and still have a positive impact on the environment and you can re-approach that item in the future.
“Can I use something that I already own, or make it instead of buying something new?”
Making DIYs in bulk can be fun, cost efficient, healthier, and make a big impact on your climate footprint. Win, win, win!
“Is there a more low waste option available?”
Intersectional Environmentalism
Did you know that climate change negatively impacts marginalized and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) populations the most? Caring about climate justice IS racial justice.
Our efforts to reduce waste and mitigate climate change is our chance to strive for a more just an equitable future — especially for those of us in positions of financial and racial privilege.
Let’s step up, do the work, and play our part in combating the climate crisis. We need to be systems thinkers, because there is no quick fix. Let’s aim to:
🌍 go lower-waste (plastic, clothing + food),
🌍 stay local + seasonal (less food miles)
🌍 improve global food security + access (fight malnutrition + address food privilege)
🌍 shift towards plant-based diets!
This month and every month! Every little bit helps.
Even if you can’t go fully plastic free this July, there are other ways of making the world less trashy! How are you participating in Plastic Free July this year? Let me know in the comments!
PLUS I would love to hear how this month goes for you! Want accountability on your plan? Want some fun ideas or recipes? Drop me a line in the comments or hit me up on Instagram @oylwithme :)