Category: Plastic Free July

Go Plastic Free in July - What You Can Do Now

7/2/2025

Be part of the solution - Plastic Free July

Environmental Forum

Plastic Free Foundation

Join the Plastic Free July Movement. Be part of the solution to beat plastic pollution. Here are some tips and ideas to reduce plastic waste. Take a look at this link to learn what you can do!

Susan Leuthauser (she/her)

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Week 3 of Plastic Free July - Say no to styrofoam!

7/15/2023

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Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!
Week 3 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single-use containers this week!"

Environmental Forum

As part of Plastic Free July we are asking that you spend each week of the month doing specific plastic elimination challenges. This week our focus is single use containers. Read this article about how one woman eliminated these items. One suggestion she has is to carry a "reusable kit" with her everywhere she goes. In it are a reusable coffee cup, bags and containers.

If you are caught out at a restaurant and don't have your reusable container for your "food to go" items, ask for a few pieces of aluminum foil. These can be easily cleaned and recycled at home once you put your food in a storage container at home. Whatever you do, say no to styrofoam!

Let us know your feedback on this third step of Plastic Free July.

Read our other blog posts for Plastic Free July below:

Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"
Week 2 - "I will only use reusable grocery bags this week!”

Susan Leuthauser

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Week 2 of Plastic Free July - Reusable Grocery Bags

7/8/2023

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Plastic Free July You can make a difference!
Week 2 - "I will use only reusable grocery bags this week!"

Environmental Forum

Environmental Forum

Our first week of the Plastic Free July focused on giving up the use of single use straws. Review that here. If you have transitioned to going plastic strawless a part of your regular practice - congratulations! It wasn't that hard, was it?

For Week 2 we ask that you start using reusable bags for your groceries, produce and all other errands. Once you gather the supplies you need you only have to remember to bring them into the store with you!

The Plastic Free July website answers the question, "What shopping bags should I use?" like this: the best bags to use are ones you already have! They encourage you to keep stashes of bags in handy places and to remember that they are only reusable if you remember to use them! Read this article about the best reusable grocery bags.

Produce bags are another single use plastic that is wasteful and harmful to the environment. Here is a source for various types of reusable produce bags.

Let us know your feedback on this second step of Plastic Free July.

Read our other blog posts for last week here:

Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"

Susan Leuthauser

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Week 4 of Plastic Free July - No plastic water bottles!

7/3/2023

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Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!
Week 4 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single use plastic water bottles this week!"

Environmental Forum

As part of Plastic Free July we are asking that you spend each week of the month doing specific plastic elimination challenges. This week our focus is single use plastic water bottles. The Plastic Free July website says this: "Planning ahead and bringing a reusable water bottle when on the go is a healthier, cost-effective way to stay hydrated and avoid single-use plastic water bottles."

They also suggest that...In places around the world with access to safe drinking water, a reusable water bottle avoids unnecessary single-use plastic water bottles.

Choosing a reusable bottle that suits your lifestyle can be a great way to get into the reusable routine. Bottles don’t need to be fancy. Some people simply repurpose a glass jar or bottle. If you do purchase a bottle, consider its lifespan. Plastic Free July participants tell us they prefer durable materials such as stainless steel.

Most people keep their bottle in a handy location so they remember it. If you accidentally forget, you can always:

drink from a water fountain,
ask a cafe for a glass of water or
make do in the workplace with a mug or clean jar.

Read this article about the best reusable water bottles. If you are looking for one with a straw, read this article. You can also find water in aluminum bottles at local natural grocery stores. Although these bottles are not as sturdy as some, they can be reused and then recycled when they have finished their service.

Let us know your feedback on this last step of Plastic Free July. We strongly encourage you to continue these practices year-round. None of these is that difficult.

Read our other blog posts for Plastic Free July below:

Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"
Week 2 - "I will only use reusable grocery bags this week!"
Week 3 - "I will not use single use containers this week!"

Susan Leuthauser

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Week 1 of Plastic Free July - Go Straw Free!

7/3/2023

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Plastic Free July You can make a difference!
Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"

Environmental Forum

For many years, our forum has been working to educate the community through the Plastic Free July program. Plastic Free July was established in 2011 and has done a lot to raise awareness about the dangers of plastic waste and its impact on the environment and health. You can sign up for the Plastic Free July Challenge on their website. What many of our forum members report is that these changes that they made in July were easy to continue throughout the year.

This month our focus is on convincing you that "You can make a difference!" We are sometimes asked, "I'm just one person. How can my simple action help when everyone else uses these plastics?" What we find is that our actions often stimulate a discussion about how easy it is for people to make these changes. Others see your behavior and learn to understand that just being a role model spreads change. Try it and see! And remember that Earth Day started in 1970 as a simple call to action for college campus students. Its reach has slowly changed to a worldwide effort today.

For the first week in July we are asking you to stop using single-use straws at home and when you are out. Here are some reasons to stop using them:

Single-use straws are used for a few minutes then discarded, where they’ll remain in the environment indefinitely
They are lightweight and easily blown down drains and into waterways, rivers and oceans
Straws can become stuck in the airways of animals, or if mistaken for food and ingested can be fatal
Together, we can get straws out of the top 10 list of items collected in beach cleanups

There are plenty of alternatives for them, including reusable straws like these and switching to a reusable water bottle with a straw when you are out. These water bottles have straws.

Take the QC Straw Free Challenge and forgo the use of straws for at least this first week of July!

We should love to hear your feedback after trying this. You can contact me at the link below or reply to this blog post. Good luck and have fun!

Susan Leuthauser

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Go Plastic Free in July - What You Can Do Now

Be part of the solution - Plastic Free July

Week 3 of Plastic Free July - Say no to styrofoam!

Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!
Week 3 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single-use containers this week!"

Week 2 of Plastic Free July - Reusable Grocery Bags

Plastic Free July You can make a difference!
Week 2 - "I will use only reusable grocery bags this week!"

Week 4 of Plastic Free July - No plastic water bottles!

Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!
Week 4 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single use plastic water bottles this week!"

Week 1 of Plastic Free July - Go Straw Free!

Plastic Free July You can make a difference!
Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"

Archives

Categories

Go Plastic Free in July - What You Can Do Now

Be part of the solution - Plastic Free July

Week 3 of Plastic Free July - Say no to styrofoam!

Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!Week 3 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single-use containers this week!"

Week 2 of Plastic Free July - Reusable Grocery Bags

Plastic Free July You can make a difference!Week 2 - "I will use only reusable grocery bags this week!"

Week 4 of Plastic Free July - No plastic water bottles!

Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!Week 4 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single use plastic water bottles this week!"

Week 1 of Plastic Free July - Go Straw Free!

Plastic Free July You can make a difference!Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"

Archives

Categories

Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!
Week 3 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single-use containers this week!"

Plastic Free July You can make a difference!
Week 2 - "I will use only reusable grocery bags this week!"

Plastic Free July - You can make a difference!
Week 4 of Plastic Free July - "I will not use single use plastic water bottles this week!"

Plastic Free July You can make a difference!
Week 1 - "I will eliminate single use straws this week!"