You did it, we did it, and I certainly gave it a bloody good crack. July is now over which means that plastic free July is also over. But… what does that mean for you? If you haven’t seen the show War on Waste (it’s on ABC and also iView) stop what you’re doing and go and have a looksee, especially with July wrapping up in the next few days. Because whilst the whole plastic free July thing is a really great challenge and a great motivation tool to help up along the way, what are our bigger motivations?
Have you been whale watching recently? Looking forward to swimming in the beaches/baths in summer? Enjoy paying under 5 buck for your coffee? All of these things, rely on us, as people, doing our part to keep the planet turning. Hopefully, all of these things make you think twice about purchasing that takeaway coffee cup or filling your life with lots of unnecessary packaging and plastic.
Also, I really hope that the businesses who chose to participate in plastic-free July also continue the trend of living the plastic-free dream. Own a bar? Why not take a leaf out of the Falcon’s book and go completely straw and plastic free? Or, if you’re super duper attached to the link to your drink or you’ve had hectic lip surgery, why not make like Moneypenny and use paper straws instead? The straw issue may seem like some bleeding heart lefty agenda but it’s really not. Google is your best friend in this instance, and I promise you, your jaw will hit the floor as well.
If plastic free July has taught me anything, it’s about being prepared. And no I’m no girl scout that’s for sure but… plastic free July has made me think twice about rushing out the door in the morning. For example, coffee is love / coffee is life and I am a much better person when I’ve had a few sip sips of an amazing cup a joe in the morning. But no keep up? No coffee, and that’s just bad news for everyone involved. This month I also started to think a little bit more about just how much plastic I’ve previously been incorporating into my life and I am a pretty conscious person, at least I like to think so anyway. The sheer volume really astounded me and has now definitely made me think twice about each and every purchase and choice I make.
As my last plastic free July piece for this year, I just want to say, I just hope that we can take even a tiny handful of the things we were putting into practice during the challenge, and incorporate them into our day today. The planet would be so much happier, and maybe we could all be that little bit happier too, living a plastic-free life.
