What is Plastic Free July and how can you meaningfully participate?
Like Earth Day and World Environment Day, Plastic Free July is a movement to inspire and engage people across the world to have a positive global impact. This movement focuses on reducing plastic waste and pollution to “create cleaner streets, oceans and communities” (Plastic Free July website). The Plastic Free July challenge helps countless individuals and businesses around the world reduce their reliance on plastic.
Through a lack of sustainable alternatives, disposable nappies have been piling up in landfills since 1965. Today landfills are bursting at the seams with an estimated 400 billion traditional plastic nappies - some taking up to 500 years to decompose. With each child needing on average 8 nappies a day, for up to 4 years, the severity of the nappy crisis becomes clear.
We are proud to say that Ecoriginals is the world’s first plastic neutral nappy in partnership with Plastic Bank. As a business, we want to leave the world greener for our little ones and we are committed to having a positive global impact. Some big things we’ve done to make that happen:
- We are 100% transparent and honest about our materials.
- Our partnership with Plastic Bank has contributed to stopping the equivalent of 3,536,275 single-use plastic bottles from entering the ocean and local waterways.
- Working with Ecologi we have grown 167,477 trees across the globe.
- We have offset over 1.9t of carbon from the atmosphere.
Feeling inspired to join the movement this month? Here are 5 actions you can take this Plastic Free July.
Make one plastic free swap in your home
Change can be easy when you take it one step at a time. If you have a plastic item at home that’s due for replacement, choose a plastic free alternative. For example, a refillable soap or kitchen liquid dispenser. Make sure you wait until it needs replacement rather than throwing your current items away to reduce unnecessary waste.
Choose one plastic item to avoid using this month
New habits take time to form, by consciously choosing one plastic item to avoid this July you are already on your way. You might choose to eliminate plastic produce bags at the grocery store from your shops this month - you’ll be surprised how the habit sticks!
Find products that are plastic free or plastic neutral
Be conscious of the brands that you buy from, to make sure their values align with your own. Our Ecoriginals nappies are the world’s first certified plastic neutral nappy, certified by Plastic Bank. Every single purchase has a positive impact not only on the environment and to reduce waste, but also on coastal communities and individual families. Read about your impact when choosing Ecoriginals here.
Buy products that are biodegradableWhere you can, choose products that will biodegrade back into the earth and leave no trace. Be careful not to fall for greenwashing that presents as biodegradable but really means micro-plastics. Our Ecoriginals New Zealand made bamboo wipes are biodegradable and your baby’s bottom will thank you.
Share your knowledgeShare the love by talking about reducing waste with those around you. It can be easy to overlook topics or ideas if they’re not talked about with friends and family. The most amazing thing you can do in this world is be a teacher, and influence those around you to think about their activities in different ways.
Plastic Free July is the perfect time to start educating yourself, asking the right questions from brands you consider and to form new, healthy habits. We can’t wait to hear about the actions you’ll be taking this month. And if you’re curious about how our products contribute to the Circular Economy and reducing waste, we would love to chat. Please contact us at customerservice@ecoriginals.com.au
