Tips for Plastic Free July

Plastic Free July is an initiative started by the Plastic Free Foundation in 2011 with the goal of reducing plastic waste and educating the public about living plastic free. There are so many opportunities to reduce plastic in our everyday lives. Keep reading to find out some of our favorite tips!

Kitchen

The kitchen may be the biggest opportunity to reduce plastic waste, from the packaging used to transport food from the farms to the bags we use to take our lunches to work.. It can be challenging to figure out how your food was produced, transported, and stored but there are a lot of easy ways to reduce your waste as a consumer.

Use reusable grocery bags

It takes roughly 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose in the landfill! Always remember to bring your reusable bags when you go shopping. 

Shop in bulk when possible

Grocery stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods have bulk refill stations where you can get anything from nuts and grains to chocolate treats. Whole Foods also serves their deli meats in 100% compostable packaging! If you’re located in the Nashville area, you can find low-waste seasoning mixes from Dry Guys Pantry Supply!

Bring reusable water bottles/coffee cups

Americans throw away roughly 50 BILLION coffee cups each year! We can change that one day at a time by bringing our own. You can even try making one yourself in a pottery class or purchasing one from a local coffee shop like Crema, Bongo Java, Frothy Monkey, Matryoshka, etc…

Avoid takeaway food containers

Instead of ordering delivery or takeaway, slow down a little and enjoy your meal at the restaurant. This way you can avoid the wasteful to-go containers that usually end up in the landfill. Alternatively, you can support businesses that choose to invest in compostable takeaway containers.

Ditch disposal lunch bags

Swap out plastic zipper bags for containers that can be reused hundreds of times.

Bathroom + Laundry

Modern day bathrooms are littered with pesky plastics. This July (and beyond), choose to refuse single-use plastic bathroom products and replace them with more sustainable alternatives. 

Shampoos/Conditioner

Try swapping hair care products that come in plastic bottles with liquid-free shampoo and conditioner bars. Not only do they come in plastic-free packaging, they’re so much easier to travel with! If you’re not a fan of shampoo bars, you can find bulk refill options at Sage Refill Market and The Good Fill! 

Soaps 

Similarly with shampoo and conditioner, body wash and hand soap bars normally come in cardboard packaging that can be recycled. You can also find solid dish soap that comes in a reusable/recyclable container. 

Cleaning products

You may be surprised how easy it is to make your own cleaning products. A simple solution of white vinegar, baking soda, and water is usually good enough to clean most surfaces. Refill stores usually offer refillable stations for cleaning products as well. 

Toothbrushes and toothpaste 

Swap out traditional toothpaste for toothpaste tablets that come in plastic-free containers. You can also transition to using compostable bamboo toothbrushes rather than the usual plastic ones. 

Liquid free detergents 

Whether it’s dishwashing detergents or laundry detergent, there are liquid-free alternatives that can be found in plastic-free containers. 

Reusable dryer balls

Typical dryer sheets are actually made with plastic fibers. Ditch those disposable sheets and try wool dryer balls that can be reused for years!

Budget friendly hack: make your own!

If you don’t have the means to invest in zero-waste products from local shops, you can always find low-waste DIY alternatives. There are endless blogs detailing how to make pretty much anything yourself these days.

Plastic-Free Pets

You can care for your pets while still caring for the environment. There are tons of plastic-free alternatives available today for everyday pet items. 

Food from a paper bag or metal container

Typical plastic pet food bags can’t be recycled in your curbside recycling, so try finding brands that offer reusable or recyclable packaging. 

Budget-friendly DIY pet food. If you can’t find any pet food brands that offer recyclable, compostable, or reusable packaging, find a recipe online and make it yourself!

Natural material pet toys and beds

Plastic can be found in almost any product these days. Check the labels to find toys and beds that are made from natural materials, like cotton, jute, hessian, and hemp!

We recognize this is a HUGE list, so just start where it feels accessible to you. If everyone in the Nashville area chose to eliminate one single use plastic from their lives, we would be saving millions of plastic items from going to the landfill, or worse.

Take the Plastic Free July Challenge and head to the Plastic Free July website to get more helpful tips on how to reduce your plastic waste.

Plastic Free July is a great starting point for your plastic free journey, but don’t let it stop on August 1st! Keep the plastic reduction going throughout the year! If you’re looking to reduce your landfill waste beyond just plastics, try composting your food scraps, yard waste, and compostable packaging with Compost Nashville. Visit our sign up page to learn more.