Plastic Free July 2021 Challenge
Wow, already July AGAIN and I’m so excited to bring the Plastic Free July challenge back! If you have not yet heard of it, this year marks the 10th year of the Plastic Free July movement encouraging over 326 million participants across 117 countries to be more conscious of how much plastic waste we produce and how we can reduce single-use item use.
Why is Plastic Free July Important?
By empowering people with the resources they need in order to make small changes, this month-long challenge paves the way for year-long changes to be made. By making a conscious effort for one month, you will find that your eco-friendly habits become your new normal as you move through the rest of the year.
Source: Sailors for the Sea
This is the benefit of the challenge and how it is working to reduce plastic pollution globally. While we are in desperate need of large corporations making more earth-minded shifts to truly clean up our planet, I will always be a firm believer that each and every action taken by a single person changes our world. Because with every change comes a ripple effect.
Once you make swaps to new products that you enjoy, maybe you share with your family or friends, maybe you share the product online or on your social media. This could end up touching thousands of people… so how can we say that our individual actions don’t matter when we all have so much influence?
How Can I Get Involved in Plastic Free July?
Getting involved is as simple as you want it to be. You can officially sign up on the Plastic Free July website where you can provide more information about how long you’d like to participate, the sustainability level you’re currently at, and where you want to make the most swaps. This gives you more accountability and resources if you’d like the challenge to be more hands-on.
In addition to this, you can download my Plastic Free July workbook that launched last July for a new sustainably-minded activity every week to make small steps towards cutting back on the items you can live without! But remember, you don’t have to sign up on the Plastic Free July website and you don’t need to download any resources to get involved, you can simply make it a personal goal to either not use any plastic this month, or to cut back on certain products.
Introduction to my Plastic Free July Workbook, © Danielle Carnahan
This does not have to be an all-or-nothing challenge. You don’t have to be perfectly zero-waste to participate or make a difference, and most importantly, if you have a day, week, month, even YEAR of using a lot of single-use items or plastic, that doesn’t mean you’re “disqualified” or cannot make changes! It’s never too late to take a step in the right direction and alter your consumer habits. So I would encourage you to try and make a conscious effort this month to make some new habits.
Cutting Back is a Privilege
I know this is something I’ve spoken about on the blog previously, but it is a privilege to be able to cut back on plastic waste or make sustainably-minded decisions. Not everyone has the resources or available alternatives to change their consumer habits.
Since this is not a challenge that is accessible to everybody, I would encourage those of you who can take part in such challenges to really consider your role here. The actions of those who can do better speak louder than the excuses about “convenience” when it comes to wasteful habits.
None of us are perfect, not many people can be completely zero-waste (me included!), and at the same time, perfection is not the goal. Effort is the goal and with a little bit of effort from a lot of people, we can make big ripple effects.
So what do you say? Are you up to try it out with me this month?
Additional Plastic Free Resources
For those who need more help getting started or finding swaps, don’t worry, I’m here for you! My email inbox is open 24/7 and I’m here to help. Below are some additional resources you can find on The Call to Conserve website for your convenience, but if there is anything you need help with please get in touch with me! Whether it’s a swap you’re looking to make that you can’t find an alternative to, or someone to hold you accountable this month.
All of these resources are constantly updated:
Be sure to check out my discount codes for sustainable items before purchasing your new plastic-free items this month
And keep in mind you can always find blog posts relating to sustainability, plastic usage, low waste, etc. by typing your keyword into the search box on the top right of your screen!