Plastic-free July is a celebration and a call to action for living an environmentally conscious lifestyle, specifically when limiting plastic use! The United States alone in 2018 amassed 35.7 million tons of plastic, which can threaten our oceans, landfills, and wildlife.
With oceans being the most impacted by plastic waste, July is a great month to pause and remember why choosing environmentally sustainable alternatives is the best short-term, and long-term solution. As tourists and locals flock to their nearest oceans as the weather warms up, don’t forget your reusable water bottles, reusable straws, and reusable Tupperware.
A Brief History on Plastic-Free July
Plastic-free July is an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, which was started in 2017. The Plastic Free Foundation actively seeks to promote solutions to the ongoing plastic problem and is open to all points of input from their stakeholders, members, and volunteers. It is the point of view of the Plastic Free Foundation that conscious living and small steps towards a more sustainable solution are the best long-term strategies for reducing plastic use.
With humble beginnings in Western Australia, this fiery non-profit organization quickly ascended to being one of the world’s leaders in plastic-free living, with a global impact that occurs year-round, and not just in the month of July.
However, July remains the month in which the plastic-free effort is recognized, and is presented as a challenge to the world’s citizens to go plastic-free for the entire month. It is the point of view of the Plastic Free Foundation that by the end of the month participants may be so used to the change, that they become empowered to make their plastic-free habits permanent.
With 326 million participants worldwide, this initiative is growing by the year, and encouraging people in positive ways to make subtle changes in their lives that make the world a better place.
The Three Tiers of Plastic-Free July
With one of the pillars of plastic-free July being inclusivity, education, and mentorship, the Plastic Free Foundation has three different tiers of the Plastic Free July challenge.
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Expert
Plastic Free July: Beginner
For those of us realizing that it’s time to make a change towards a plastic-free lifestyle, the Plastic Free Foundation encourages baby steps towards a more conscious lifestyle. Accordingly, the beginner tier encourages eliminating one disposable item for the month. This can be plastic straws, plastic bags, or single-use coffee cups! By taking baby steps towards a great consciousness, you won’t feel defeated in the early stages of your plastic elimination. At the end of the day, every single time you choose a plastic alternative, that’s one less piece of plastic that could end up in the environment.
Plastic Free July: Intermediate
Plastic-free July on an intermediate level means the elimination of the big 4!
- Single-use straws
- Coffee cups
- Plastic shopping bags
- Plastic water bottles
If you’ve participated as a beginner in the challenge before, or think you’re long overdue to make a radical change in your plastic use, the intermediate level may be a great challenge! One easy way to start is by investing in ZeroWater products! With our reusable plastic solutions, we can be a great partner in helping you create a plastic-free lifestyle!
Plastic Free July: Expert
You probably guessed it, but the expert challenge for plastic-free July is the complete elimination of plastic! At ZeroWater, we applaud anyone who ramps up their plastic elimination to this level, and recognizes you as a hero in the plastic elimination movement!
Click here to get started on the plastic-free July challenge. Join the millions of people worldwide who are committing to slowly, thoughtfully, and consciously end single-use plastic.