Around the world, people pledge to give up as much plastic as they can during July. Here are some easy ways to get involved!
Use less plastic: What you can do
Avoiding and refusing as much single-use plastic is the way forward. But it’s hard to avoid altogether. Recycling plastic that you cannot reuse has tonnes of benefits and means it’s less likely to find its way to our oceans and landfill.
But there are a few simple changes at home most families can do – remember, even small changes all add up to something big!
Ditch plastic food wrap for leftovers and sandwiches.
Store food in reusable containers, or use beeswax wraps.
When out and about, say no to bottled water.
Fill reusable bottles from the tap before you go out.
Dump regular tea bags.
Use loose leaf tea or check if your favourite brand produces plastic-free tea bags
Don’t reach for pre-packed fruit and veg.
Pick and choose loose products at the supermarket – take your own bag to put them in!
Do away with throw-away toothbrushes.
Switch to bamboo toothbrushes (you’ll need to cut off the plastic bristles before recycling) or a toothbrush with a replaceable head, so there’s less plastic waste.
Give shower gels the slip.
There are so many varieties of bars of soap, suitable for face, hair and body and means you’ll be space-saving too!
Say goodbye to disposable nappies.
Reusable nappies are best for sustainability. A popular choice is switching to cloth inserts inside a reusable outer nappy, or only using disposable nappies when out and about.
Toys are a big problem when it comes to plastic. According to Kids Against Plastic, shockingly, 8.5 million plastic toys are sent to landfill every year, and 90% of children’s toys are made from plastic.
Plastic toys may be hard to avoid completely, but thanks to resale websites and community pages, lots of people buy and sell second-hand plastic toys, getting the most use out them as possible and avoiding that trip to the tip.
We’re proud to have a fab wide range of eco-friendly plastic-free toys on our website – check out some of our favourite items below and the full range here.
Ditch plastic cups and straws.
Use paper or reusable metal straws and paper or washable cups! You can decorate plain paper cups with coloured paper or decorative wrapping paper! Ensure the paper is fully recyclable, Toby Tiger wrap is perfect for this!
Press pause on plastic balloons and party decorations.
Celebrate in your own style without damaging the planet. Get the kids involved to make bunting, paper streamers and woolly pom poms! Our colourful, patterned wrap is perfect for making paper chains and bunting! You can see our full range of wrap here.
Ready to take on the challenge?
Do you and your family want to challenge yourselves for a plastic-free July? Head to Plastic Free July here, which also gives more tips and support to help you reduce the plastic in your life.