Plastic Free July – Small Swaps, Big Wins

This Plastic Free July, just KISS it – Keep it simple, Stu! Start small. Switch smart. No pressure, no guilt-tripping — just a friendly nudge to try one or two easy swaps that are good for you and the paradise we all love.

So… what is Plastic Free July?

It all started in Australia back in 2011, it’s now a global movement encouraging people to reduce single-use plastics for a month (and hopefully beyond).

It’s not about being perfect — it’s about doing what you can, where you are, with what you’ve got.

Why should we care?

Did you know?

• Every year, 11 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans — that’s roughly a rubbish trucks worth every minute.
• According to the OECD, only 9% of all plastic ever made has been recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, gets incinerated, or leaks into the environment.
• One of the most visible signs is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — a swirling soup of microplastics between California and Hawaii, now estimated to be twice the size of Texas (and growing fast).

Where do I start?

Notice your plastic habits
Take a day to look at what you chuck out. Smoothie/coffee cups, food wrappers, shampoo bottles... it all adds up.

Pick one thing to swap

Try a reusable drink bottle, a coffee keep cup, refillable cleaning products, or glass containers instead of glad wrap. No need to bin everything straight away — just swap things out as they run out.

Thanks to Amanda-Jane at Everkind for providing the stats for this week’s journal