Why You Should Participate in Plastic Free July!

Hey earth muffins! It’s crazy to think that I’ve been participating in the Plastic Free July Challenge for a few years now! I’ve written different posts around the month-long challenge, from easy plastic-free swaps to waste audits at the end of the month. But, I haven’t actually written anything specific about why you should want to participate in Plastic Free July. I highly encourage you all to give it a try this year – what do you have to lose! 😊 Here are the top reasons you should participate in Plastic Free July!

We need to start doing something about plastic.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that plastic is a huge issue. Anywhere you look (in a city or in the middle of nowhere) there is plastic littering the planet. And that is just horrible! Regardless on your stance on climate change or sustainability, it is obvious that plastic is a problem. There are tons of statistics to back up this fact as well. While many of them cause me eco-anxiety, I’ll share some of the most eye-opening ones:

• 50% of all plastics produced are single-use.
• Plastic waste is growing at an annual rate of 9%. Just imagine how much trash our kids will have to deal with!
• Approximately 91% of plastic is not recycled

Not good stats, right? Trust me, if you do some Googling it is truly terrifying and sad. It is clearly obvious that we need to reduce our usage of plastic… So, why not challenge yourself to avoid plastics during July! 🌎

It’s easy to make changes!

Another reason why you should participate in Plastic Free July is because it is easy to start making changes. I’ve stressed this again and again on Life of an Earth Muffin. Every small swap makes a difference! It doesn’t take a lot of time, money, or energy to start reducing the plastic in your daily routine. This blog has shared a ton of great tips over the years, so I hope you can use it as a resource! If you want some other tips for making easy changes, I suggest looking at the list of ideas on the Plastic Free July website as well.

You don’t need to give up all plastics to participate!

When you sign the pledge to join in on the challenge, there is NOT the expectation that you will forever avoid plastic. There are options for every type of person! If you don’t think you are at the point in your eco journey to avoid all plastics for a month, great. Just choose a few areas of your life to focus on. Don’t think you can avoid plastics due to your job or lifestyle? I challenge you to avoid just one plastic this month! You also don’t have to do the challenge for the full month either – tailor it to your needs and comfort level! But, there is no excuse to not try… I know all you Earth Muffins can do it!

We are stronger together.

Last July, 326 MILLION people took part in this challenge! Spread out across 177 countries, that is an awesome feat and a lot of people! While small changes can make an impact, just imagine the results of 326 million people making those small changes. The number of participants is great, but there is still room for more people to join in. Only 29% of people polled online actually knew about Plastic Free July… Just imagine how much more the impact would be if 600 million people decided to join in! 🎉

Final Thoughts – I Challenge You All to Participate!!

Plastic Free July is an awesome challenge. It really opens your eyes to how much plastic subconsciously gets incorporated into your daily routine. Once you have to actively think about every choice, you realize that you can impact the world for the better with easy swaps. 😊 The stats around plastic pollution are pretty brutal, so I urge you all to push yourself this July. We are stronger together and can make a powerful difference – take the plastic-free challenge today!

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