Greener Days Prevail

It’s Plastic Free July! Will you be part of the solution to plastic pollution?

If you’re not aware, Plastic Free July is a global movement started by Plastic Free Foundation with the initiative to educate and inspire people to make small changes that work with their everyday lives. Their website has tons of information and resources that have inspired over 100 million people from 190 countries to take part.

As more people are realizing, recycling is not the answer when it comes to the plastic crisis. Here in Canada, only about 9% of our plastic waste gets recycled, but that percentage also includes the plastic waste we dump onto other countries, most of which isn’t recyclable.

Though going completely plastic-free is not sustainable for most people (myself included), we can all do our part in trying to reduce our use of single-use plastics. And even though we, the consumers, are not the main culprits when it comes to the plastic crisis, we still play a part in it, and realizing this and wanting to make better choices for ourselves and our planet is so incredibly powerful.

I’ve been taking part for the last five years, and I try to make July the month where I introduce at least one new plastic-free alternative into my routine and day-to-day life. This month, I need to restock some of my beauty products, so I thought this would be the perfect time to try a conditioning bar that’s for both hair and shaving.

Another thing I try to always do this month is be more mindful of how many takeout drinks I get, as with the warm weather and more road trips, getting a to-go drink is always tempting this time of year.

The main thing we all need to do though? Abandon the all-or-nothing mindset. Joining this movement and doing things imperfectly are far more beneficial than avoiding it in fear of not being perfect. Be gentle with yourself, as this movement can look different for everyone, and just know that any changes you do make, even if it’s just cutting back on things, is much more beneficial than doing nothing at all!

So, here’s to us, the consumers, realizing our power and coming together to reduce our plastic waste in order to help our beautiful planet! I’ll also be doing a weekly roundup on my Instagram page of how I’ve avoided single-use plastics for that week, so make sure you’re following me over there!