Welcome to Plastic Free July 2020!
It's day 1 at Lilian Cannam and we hope you're as excited as we are to make a global impact by choosing to refuse single-use plastic this month.
We know that Covid-19 is making things trickier than it might have been in previous years. So this is a gentle reminder not to let the things you can't do get you down. There are plenty of swaps that you can try inside the home, even if it's harder when you're out and about. We are not expecting you to be perfect. The trying is the important bit! And it goes without saying, please don't risk your health.
Don't forget, you're part of a movement with 250 million other people, and whatever you can do is going to have an impact. Collectively, all of our efforts are added together - your actions count.
By making small changes to your everyday habits, you can make a huge difference. Here are some things to think about to help reduce single-use plastic:
If you are still able to use reusables where you live, make sure they are ready (and clean!) and accessible (like having your shopping bags in the boot of your car or by the door, and keeping your coffee cup or drink bottle in your bag);
If reusables and bulk shopping aren't an option for you, think about how you can reduce plastic in your kitchen - ditching the single-use glad wrap, or perhaps trying to make some things from scratch to avoid the packaging;
Plan and prepare meals and snacks ahead of time, so you don't get caught out;
This animation we made last year is a great summary of the Challenge:
A change is a chance podcast with Ryan Lo
The Founder of Plastic Free July, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, has been doing a lot of talks and interviews in the lead-up to Plastic Free July, and her favourite so far was her podcast interview with Ryan Lo, a 6th grader (yep, he's 11!) from the USA.
In his podcast 'A Change is a Chance', Ryan interviews environmental experts and policy makers so we can (in Ryan's words) all learn how to make the world a better place.