Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution, it starts today on the 1st of July. We are pledging to refuse all single-use plastic, this is something we already try to do, but being honest convenience sometimes trumps this.

In this blog, we are going to look at preparing ourselves for this month and give weekly updates to show our progress. This is our second year participating in Plastic Free July, we found it very eye-opening, it really showed us just how much of our everyday items are in single-use plastic. It caused a dramatic change for us, overall, it was a positive experience, it made us think about what food we were eating, supported more local businesses, and made more from scratch.

Some of the things we just couldn’t find last year included: cheese, crisps, biscuits, gluten-free bread, gluten-free cereal, sweets and berries. Since last year we have managed to find some shops that will cater to these.

This year we are more prepared and have planned ahead, finding the best products from local shops and preparing. Here are some of the things we have done to be prepared:

Getting ready

1. Swop – this is a local refillable shop located in Blackheath London. You take in your containers and fill them up with everything you could need. Meaning not only is it plastic-free but also waste-free.  They have everything from lentils, gluten-free pasta, crisps, washing up liquid, peanut butter and so much more.

2. The Village greengrocers in Charlton London – This is where we get all our plastic-free organic fruit and veg since last year it has also expanded to have some refillable stations, milk in glass refillable bottles and bakery bits. The owner here really supports local businesses, encouraging local suppliers to sell in his shop.  

3. Going out packs – I now always carry this with me in my bag it includes reusable Cutlery, reusable straw, coffee cup. This way I know if I am going out I will be able to enjoy what I want.

4. Water bottle – This comes with me everywhere. Most shops/cafes are more than happy to refill for me.

5. Social event (BBQs) – Something that July in England always brings is BBQ’s, we found a local butcher that supplied all its meat in paper bags for us. For the vegetarian alternative, I swing by the freezer section where a lot of the products are only in cardboard boxes.  

6. Meal planning – This has been a helpful thing to do to ensure we don’t mess up.

I hope this list helps you to start to see that it is doable to live a single-use plastic-free life. Or even encourage you to shop more locally and support local businesses.

Be sure to come back next week where we will give you an update on how our first week has been.