What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages consumers to cut out all single-use plastics in order to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. This will allow us to live in a world that has cleaner streets, oceans, communities and air that we breathe; which will not only benefit us, but the species that we share the planet with too.

Why is it in July?

We celebrate being plastic free in July to focus on a brief time period, as it’s more likely that consumers will participate in one month out of the year rather than the whole year itself, and those 31 days are better than no days at all. July is also the month where our appreciation for nature and the environment is at its peak. The sunshine encourages us to spend more time outside, which can allow us to reflect on the plastic that’s in our ecosystems.

Why is it essential for consumers to take part?

The UK throws away an estimated 295 billion pieces of plastic every year. Much of this is single-use and cannot be recycled (either because the recycling facilities don’t have access to the equipment that recycles them properly, or because consumers dispose of it incorrectly, or not at all). The remaining plastic is then sent to landfill or burned, according to a source from ITV. The burning of plastics is extremely dangerous for our atmosphere as it releases toxic gases like dioxins, furans, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (better known as BCPs) and thus poses a threat to vegetation, and human and animal health.

To take part, celebrate and raise awareness for Plastic Free July is the least we can do to implement an active change in order to have a sustainable future. Read ahead for some plastic free July ideas for your business.

Why sustainability matters for businesses this Plastic Free July 2022:

If we’re honest, the main culprit for plastic pollution is businesses. Big corporations that are motivated to increase profits by purchasing cheaper plastic packaging solutions, rather than investing in products that are biodegradable, decomposable and sustainable.

According to the Plastic Waste Markers Index, only 20 companies are the source of more than half of all single-use plastic thrown away globally. ExxonMobil tops the list, by contributing over 5.9 billion kilograms to global plastic waste, closely followed by a Beijing chemicals company, Dow and China’s Sinopec. Overall, 100 companies are behind 90% of global single-use plastic production, like top-plastic-pollution-producers Nestle, Coca Cola, and Pepsi, who are failing to commit to their plastic reduction goals.

Why Going Plastic Free Is Actually Better For Businesses:

Reducing plastic pollution is an issue of health, economics and equity – this is a corporate responsibility. Businesses have the resources to tackle this problem, in regards to their knowledge of the industry and their own products, existing infrastructure, and their power to connect with consumers across the globe.

If businesses made the reduction of in-house plastic waste a priority, it could improve their reputation and brand recognition. Being one of the few plastic free companies has its benefits, and investing in solutions to plastic pollution will generate a lot of credibility and acknowledgement. By doing this they could raise industry standards whilst remaining competitive, and use their leverage with connections where they operate to influence a wider change. Companies are more likely to achieve this than governments, and if more businesses pursue this then the rest of the world will follow.

What you can do as a business to contribute to Plastic Free July:

We don’t expect you to transform into a plastic free business overnight, however we do expect you to consider the following:

Share plastic free ideas to your customers and employees

Encourage them to take part. Business leaders have the platform to make a positive difference, use this month as an opportunity to spread awareness and communicate your plastic free values. Maybe even implement them to your workplace, create a ‘Plastic Free July’ challenge with incentives for your employees, this challenge can include:

Bringing reusable coffee cups/water bottles into work
Buying in bulk
Growing your own produce
Checking the labels on the products that you buy
Switching to plastic free oral health products

You can also educate them on the subject, by signing up for plastic free and sustainable webinars, which can also be sent out to your customers. Encouraging them to sign a plastic free petition is another way to bring change, as well as including it in any newsletters or email marketing your business might send, and lets not forget the power of sharing on social media!

Choose to refuse single-use plastic products and packaging:

We know this is easier said than done, but the first step is as simple as conducting a bin audit, and keeping track of your company waste as a way to identify how much plastic you consume. Once you have an idea, create some goals. For example if you wanted to half the number of single-use plastic products that are coming into the workplace then implement this as a procedure for the future. From there you can look to invest in products such as:

Condiments that can be refilled (such as salt and pepper, tea bags, ketchup, mayonnaise, soy sauce etc
Swap plastic cutlery for silverware, encourage your employees to not bring any in
Buy ceramic plates, bowls and mugs
Purchase essentials from refill shops, such as coffee beans and bar soaps etc.
Invest in a water filtration system to stop employees brining in plastic bottles
Encourage or even supply employees with lunch to stop them from purchasing food from supermarkets/takeaways wrapped in single-use plastic

You can also modify your procurement policies, double check with your suppliers to see how much plastic packaging you go through as a company and see if you can amend it to any sustainable products they may have available. Remember that certain types of packaging can also be reused – if investing in sustainable packaging for the month isn’t an option, then consider what packaging can be used again and again. You could even consider asking your customers to send back their packaging of your products to achieve this, offering an incentive for those who do will make this more attainable.

Lastly, remember that we can do more together than we can alone:

We know that was all a little bit overwhelming, but there is hope! Remember that you are not alone in wanting a plastic free future. Here is a list of our favourite sustaInable companies that are driving real on the ground change.

We hope this will give you some inspiration:

By working together we can create a greener, more sustainable future for all of us. We hope our plastic free July tips have inspired you to get started today.