By Wendy Baker, Benalla Sustainable Futures Group
Plastic Free July is an international initiative developed by a Perth council to raise awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives. The challenge is to refuse single use plastic during July.
Some of you may think it is too difficult to stop using plastic. It is. Plastic is ubiquitous and it is made to last a very long time. It is packaged around our food. Some would even say it has started to become a part of our food. It is in our make-up and personal hygiene products. It is in our clothing.
However, if we put in a little thought and effort we all can reduce our usage of plastic. I have been concerned about the impact of plastics on the environment for years. This concern was heightened on a recent trip to Sri Lanka where I was totally disheartened by the rubbish on the beaches, in the ocean and on the streets. Waste reduction is a global responsibility.
Some ideas to aid in this challenge would be to:
Continue the challenge if travelling:
Think- Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Rethink, Repair.
If we are all a little wiser with our purchases and consumption habits, a cleaner and healthier environment will follow.
For more ideas and to accept the challenge go to www.plasticfreejuly.org
Choose to Refuse.