Plastic Free July
Photo: Ron Lach (Pexels.com)
Plastic Free July, which began with one person in 2011 in Australia, is today a global movement with 326 million participants in 177 countries. Never doubt the power you as an individual person of faith have!
Plastic Free July is an invitation to learn about the devastation single-use plastic, especially, is causing and what you can do to bring about change. Take the challenge. Tell your friends. Make a difference.
Imagine a school bus filled with plastic. Now multiply that by 21 million! Each year, 30 million tons of plastic are produced. Of that, 50% will be discarded after a single use, and overall, 93% will not be recycled. Imagine what you can do to refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic.
Taking a vacation to the beach this year? Eight million tons of plastic pollute the ocean, affecting about 530 marine species. Learn more about the consequences of plastic in the oceans. Keep your eyes open for the pollution; pick up what you can; tell your story.
When you order something online, does it come packed in Styrofoam or plastic bubble-wrap? Lodge a complaint to the company. Remind them that there are alternatives that you value. Support companies that ship plastic free.
Make your summer get-togethers plastic free. Use reusable or compostable dinnerware. Display your recycling and composting options prominently. Decorate with plastic-free, reusable, or natural items. Your choices will spark conversation. Take advantage of the opportunities to talk about your hope and actions for God’s creation.
Look for refill stores in your area. You bring your own container (which can be plastic that you are reusing) and purchase dish and laundry detergent, hand soap, and shampoo and conditioner, to name a few. Not only do you avoid single-use plastic, but also you save emissions by lowering shipping weights.
Say thanks to God’s critter, the raccoon, for the reminder to find out what’s in your trash. Check periodically to discover more opportunities for making a change. View this 34-minute YouTube video for common-sense alternatives to plastic that you can do at home.
By choosing a reusable cup for your coffee or tea, each person helps prevent up to 500 single-use cups each year from sitting for a thousand years in landfills. When you are out or at your church’s social time, ditch the disposable coffee cup habit.
Reuse plastic bags from inside cereal boxes, for example, for freezing food or storing leftovers. Roll the top and clip it with a wooden clothes pin—another way to avoid plastic.
What you can do individually or with family and friends is important, but systems need to change too. Plastic is a petroleum-based product oil companies don’t want to see reduced or eliminated. Businesses use plastic without considering alternatives. Write to your local policymakers to encourage them to tackle these issues. Remind them you are a constituent and a Christian who cares for God’s Creation.
Bonus: Search online or create your own Plastic Free July Bingo cards for a group or family gathering.