Plastic Free July: 31 tips on how to avoid plastic

It's Plastic Free July! But you're still not sure how to (further) reduce your plastic consumption? We're happy to help with 31 tips to declare war on plastic and develop a positive mindset at the same time. Whether it's in your food and drink, your wardrobe, or your plastic-free bathroom: Let this month inspire you for the whole year!

Why Plastic Free July?

It is currently estimated that by 2050, the amount of plastic waste in our oceans will exceed the mass of all the fish in the world's oceans. Therefore, the less plastic packaging and materials we use in our everyday lives, the less plastic will end up in our oceans.

It all began in 2011 in Perth, Australia, where Rebecca Prince-Ruiz founded a Facebook campaign with initially around 40 supporters. In nine years, her movement has now reached around 177 countries. More than 200 million people participated in Plastic Free July 2019.

Anyone can participate in the Plastic Free July challenge. Officially, as the name suggests, the challenge starts in July. But you can, of course, start a similar challenge for yourself at any time. You can officially register via the website. Plastic Free July Or you can just join in. The goal of the challenge is to save as much plastic as possible in July (and hopefully beyond).

Maybe you've been wanting to live a more plastic-free lifestyle for a while, but haven't known where to start? Great, then the following tips are sure to inspire you. Important: It is not about to implement everything perfectly at once and buy everything new immediately! Nobody is perfect!

Just pick out a few tips that you can implement easily and with fun, step by step. 

Food and Drink

• Goodbye plastic wrap: Beeswax cloths replace foil and bread paper, and they look great too. This way, you can keep food fresh for a long time in an environmentally friendly way.

• One sustainable takeaway for your lunch break, please! Next time, just bring your own reusable can and have the food filled there. Our experience shows that this is always possible without any problems.

• Wait and see? Unfortunately, Drink tea Not always plastic-free. In fact, many tea bags contain a heat-resistant plastic called polypropylene. This allows large amounts of microplastics from these tea bags to leach directly into your tea drink. So be careful when buying tea: either buy loose tea or look for fully biodegradable bags.

• Coffee capsules made of aluminum or plastic? That doesn't have to be the case. Not only does that create a lot of waste, it's also bad for your body. An excellent way to protect your wallet, body, and the environment while using a capsule coffee machine is to use reusable coffee capsules , for example made of stainless steel.

• Serve your drink sustainably! Quick trip to the gas station and buy ice cubes wrapped in plastic? Why not try homemade ice cubes Made from a stainless steel mold. Practical, affordable, and you can enjoy your drink ice-cold without feeling guilty.

• Grow your own herbs: Whether in a pot on the windowsill, on the balcony, or in your own garden, your own herb garden saves a lot of plastic and brings a lot of joy because you can watch it grow.

• A really simple tip to buy vegetables and fruit plastic-free is to simply use your own reusable bags to take with you. Don't have a suitable one yet? Then check out our shopping bag made from upcycled fishing nets.

Less plastic in the bathroom

• Instead of using shampoo in plastic packaging, try Solid shampoo . You can now buy it almost anywhere without (plastic) packaging. Our tip: Get your hair used to solid shampoo first before trying solid hair soap.
  
• We're also thrilled with the NIYOK deodorant cream , which we've tested extensively! It's free of aluminum salts and microplastics, we love it!
  
  
• One item that is easy to replace and that you probably use every day is your Hairbrush. Hairbrushes made from natural materials are not only better for the environment, but also for your hair and scalp than plastic brushes.

• Microplastics and liquid plastics: You may have heard that microplastics are found in some personal care products. Another problem is liquid plastic, which is added by some manufacturers. App CodeCheck tells you immediately whether plastic is hidden in your products.

• Say goodbye to plastic-wrapped makeup wipes! Washable makeup removal pads are the solution. Buy once or sew/upcycle them yourself and use them for life. What if that's not sustainable?

• You've probably heard that you can replace your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one. But what about toothpaste? There are so many alternatives these days. Next time, go for it. Toothpaste tablets, tooth powder or the popular toothpaste from NIYOK .

• Bye-bye body hair: Conventional razors are mostly made of plastic and quickly end up in the trash. Why not try a Safety razor to use. Add a bar of plastic-free shaving soap and you'll produce virtually no waste.

• Another important topic that is discussed far too little: period products! Tampons, pads, and panty liners are disposable products that generate huge amounts of waste. Menstrual cup or period underwear are sustainable and healthier alternatives to pads and tampons.

Mindset

• Get active and speak up! There's so much you can do. Sign petitions, participate in demonstrations, sign up for a beach or city cleanup. You'll find it feels good to be an active part of the change.

• Together Not only do you achieve a greater impact, but it's also much more fun together! Talk to your friends. Who wants to do the Plastic Free July Challenge with you?

• Do you sometimes take on too much and would prefer to do everything at once? Relax! It's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and powerless at times. It's important to remind yourself that every step, no matter how small, counts and that it's a process. We'll explain why this is so important. here again in more detail.

• Get a detailed overview of the waste you produce every day. Often, we don't even know exactly how many bags of trash we're responsible for each week or month. Try to analyze your waste in detail. Where does most of it come from? What's the best way to start reducing it?

• Have you ever been really annoyed when you bought something that was packaged in a lot of unnecessary plastic? Talk about it! Many companies are willing to make changes and take customer feedback to heart. Download the app ReplacePlastic down. With this app, you scan the barcodes of products to automatically inform manufacturers that you want plastic-free packaging.

• Do you really need that? And if so, do you really need to buy it again? To avoid unnecessary consumption, you can get into the habit of questioning your purchasing decisions beforehand and reduce impulse purchases. Perhaps you can even borrow the product from friends or family. Sharing is caring!

Wardrobe

• There are now many great fashion labels that produce fairly and sustainably and often without plastic packaging But you still don’t want to miss out on other fashion items? Then see if you can Second-hand You can always find trendy fashion on Vinted or eBay classifieds. This saves on new resources and packaging.

• Not only the packaging of fashion can be made of plastic, but also the composition of the clothing itself. A large proportion of our trousers, T-shirts, shirts, and sweaters are made of Plastic fibers such as polyester, nylon or polyacrylic With every wash cycle, tiny plastic particles—called microplastics—are washed into our wastewater. Our tip: Avoid synthetic fibers!

Inform yourself

• Bioplastics are not a solution: This term is neither precisely defined nor protected. It is often used to describe plastic made from corn starch or other natural raw materials. After use, bioplastics usually end up in residual waste. They are sorted out of organic waste because they take too long to decompose in composting plants. In terms of its ecological balance, bioplastics are therefore no better than conventional plastics and do not represent a more environmentally friendly alternative. So: bioplastics remain plastic. the BUND recommends continuing to avoid plastic as much as possible, regardless of whether it's organic or not. Where plastic is difficult to avoid, the most sensible option currently is recycled plastic.

• Better avoid black plastic: Shower gels, luxury cosmetics, and even meat or vegetable containers: all of these products are increasingly being offered in black plastics. Unfortunately, sorting the different plastics doesn't work with black or deep dark blue packaging. These aren't recognized by the sensors and therefore end up in the trash. not recycled , but incinerated as sorting residue.

• Use social media to stay informed. There are many videos on YouTube and Instagram Influencers (or Sinnfluencers, Ecofluencers, Greenfluencers) who provide you with critical information on sustainable topics and tips.

Miscellaneous

• Did you know that the Tire wear (mainly) from cars is considered one of the main causes of microplastics? So, leave the car at home more often and explore the world with more environmentally friendly alternatives.

• Out of ideas for gifts? Next time, make a wish or give a gift to an environmental organization. At Ghost Diving or Healthy Seas For example, you'll be directly supporting marine conservation and prevention, as well as the recovery of ghost nets. It's meaningful, plastic-free, and fun!

• Plastic pacifiers for your baby are a thing of the past. Luckily, there are also some made from non-toxic and allergy-free natural rubber!

• Please no advertising: Mailbox advertising generates several thousand tons of paper and plastic waste every year. A small sticker on your mailbox has a big impact. You can then easily find the latest supermarket offers online.

• Again Promotional gifts made of plastic Received a gift at a trade fair? Simply decline politely and point out that you'd prefer environmentally friendly alternatives. 

• Whether Dishwashing liquid, washing powder, cleaning products or deodorant : The World Wide Web is full of DIY instructions for plastic-free alternatives. So grab your friends and make your own product. This will make cleaning up afterward much more fun!

Those were 31 tips for your Plastic Free July! We're excited to see what we can all achieve together. Your Bracenet is also ideal as a daily reminder around your wrist for plastic-free choices.

Do you have feedback, questions, or other interesting tips? Feel free to share them!