Take the Plastic Free July Challenge - choose to reuse!

Hi greenthumbs!

Are you ready for Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is a global movement helping millions of people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. So we can have cleaner streets, oceans and beautiful communities!

Calling all greenthumbs … I challenge you to take the Plastic Free July Challenge!

What are single-use plastics?

Single-use plastics are plastic things that are designed to be used once only and then put in the bin. A plastic bag from the shops is single-use plastic. And so is a disposable plastic water bottle. Disposable plates, cups, knives and forks that you might see at a party or a picnic are often made from single-use plastic too.

What’s the problem with single-use plastics?

The big problem with single-use plastic products is that they are causing so much pollution.

Single-use plastic often ends up in landfill … or worse, in our rivers and oceans. Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down. But it never really goes away. It just breaks up into millions of tiny pieces called “microplastics” that stay in our oceans, soil and even our air. Scientists have even found microplastics in the Arctic snow and Antarctic ice!

Most plastic is made from crude oil, natural gas and coal. These are all fossil fuels. So that means we are using non-renewable resources to make plastic. And it also means that plastic is playing a part in creating greenhouse gas pollution and climate change.

A huge amount of energy and resources go into making single-use plastics. And then they get tossed into the bin after just one use!

Some plastics can be recycled and turned into new things, which is totally awesome. But the best way to help reduce single-use plastic is not to use it in the first place. We can take little steps to make new healthy habits for our planet!

Which picture do you want our future to look like?

If you want our planet to look like the picture on the right, it’s time to do something about it! The plastic pollution problem is up to all of us to solve.

Will you join me and sign up to Plastic Free July?! Come on, let’s do it together! It’s time to activate our plastic pollution solution!

week 1: let’s reuse!

For the first week of Plastic Free July, I challenge you to reuse. Take your own reusable bags or basket to the shops instead of using a plastic shopping bag. When someone asks if you would like a plastic bag give them a gigantic big smile and say, “no thank you, I brought my own bag!”

What other ways can you choose to reuse? You could take your own reusable straw when you go out (or just go strawless). And you could take a reusable cup and cutlery set too.

I challenge you to have a big-hearted go! They say it takes 21 days to change a habit. But you have the whole month of July to change it up!

Click on the picture below to download your FREE action picker.

If we all take little steps together, we can make a big difference for our planet! Share your actions and tell us what you are doing for plastic-free July by using the hashtags #dirtgirlworld #act #plasticfreejuly.

Bye greenthumbs! Love from dirtgirl.