The challenge for Plastic Free July already started, but the tips are of course for any time and anywhere. I have compiled 31 insanely simple tips, one for each day in July. Transitioning towards a sustainable lifestyle can sometimes be quite overwhelming once you realize the crazy amount of wasteful and bad products that are out there. And being sustainable does not necessarily mean you need all these cool fancy sustainable products. Many tips are easily done by just using the stuff you already own or just a simple hack.
Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste
Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? To help you, here are 31 tips 😃:
- Bring your own reusable cup with you if you're a lover of coffee or tea on the go and save hundreds of cups going to landfill each year
- Switch to a bamboo toothbrush
- Ditch plastic cotton swabs and use bamboo cotton swabs
- Switch your plastic dish brush for a compostable wooden brush. Even some supermarket sell wooden alternatives
- Try out the many different natural plastic-free kinds of toothpaste, such as toothpaste tablets, coconut oil based toothpaste and our new favorite natural toothpaste that tastes and foams just like regular toothpaste
- Buy metal or cardboard packaged lip balm, or make your own
- Buy plastic-free packaged toilet paper from The Good Roll, which is available at the Jumbo supermarket or at the website, where you can buy in larger quantities
- Switch to natural composable floss
- Bring your own reusable water bottle with you everywhere and save so much money and plastic trash
- Try growing your own herbs
- Use reusable beeswax or vegan food wraps instead of plastic wraps
- Ditch plastic bottled shampoos and switch to shampoo bars or the aluminum packaged ones. Aluminum is a highly valuable material that can be recycled infinitely
- Try finding glass packaged products in the supermarket and then reuse these jars as containers
- Bring your own cotton bags to the supermarket for grocery shopping
- Switch to reusable menstrual products, such as a menstrual cup or reusable sanitary pads, which is good for your body and wallet
- Try out natural remedies for the common cold, flu or pain
- Switch to soap bars and ditch plastic bottled soaps
- Buy loose tea over tea with tea bags, since these contain plastics
- Bring your own cutlery with you on the go. You can use your own cutlery and wrap this in a cloth or check out our bamboo cutlery set
- Try finding a bulk store in your area. In Amsterdam, there is a new zero-waste bulk store called the Little Plant Pantry
- Buy a potted plant instead of flowers
- Try finding cardboard packaged products in the supermarket. For example, washing powder is also in cardboard
- Switch to plastic-free skincare. For example, Lush sells many naked skincare products
- For cleaning, you can use a cleaning soap bar which is also without any crazy toxins or chemicals
- Try to visit the farmer's market, where there is loads of fruit and veggies that are sold loose and usually much cheaper
- Try out some simple DIYs for things like a scrub, lotion, lip balm, and deodorant
- When buying new clothes or textile products, try buying (organic) cotton, linen, hemp
- Switch to using metal straws and save hundreds from going in to landfill each year
- Instead of buying the single-use cotton pads to remove your makeup with, consider switching over to reusable & washable ones. Better for the environment and your money
- Switch to a reusable safety razor
- Buy wooden toys for kids
1 comment
This list is great. I made me happy that I could already check so many and I found out about things that were completely new to me! Like the unpackaged toilet paper at Jumbo!?
Cheers guys!
Ps. I use a powder based deo packed in metal. It works better for me since I sweat a lot and does not leave yellow stains on clothes.