Choose to Refuse Single-Use Plastic this July
Author: Rachel Date Posted:1 July 2026
What is Plastic Free July?
Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages people to reduce their use of single-use plastic throughout July and hopefully beyond. Started in Perth, Western Australia, in 2011, the campaign now inspires millions of participants across more than 170 countries to make simple changes that reduce plastic pollution.
Why is Plastic Free July Important?
Every year, Plastic Free July starts conversations and spreads awareness of the plastic pollution problem - the very reason Reusable Planet exists! The global movement motivates change and shines a spotlight on one of the biggest yet often overlooked environmental challenges our planet faces.
What Is Single-Use Plastic?
Plastic is designed to last forever, yet we’re often using single-use plastic items for only a few minutes!
Every piece of plastic ever created still exists in some form today! Only 9% has ever been recycled.
More than 50% of plastic made is designed to be single-use. Used just once and then discarded.
And that's where Plastic Free July comes in... Focussing on reducing the unnecessary use of single-use plastic.
Why Single-use Plastic Pollution is One of the Biggest Environmental and Health Challenges we face…
A layer of microplastics cover the globe. It pollutes our waterways and oceans, it litters our environment, it’s killing our animal and birdlife and microplastics are becoming a common part of our food chain.
- Eight million tonnes of plastic are going into the ocean each year.
- If we don’t change our habits, by 2050 we will have more plastic in the ocean than fish.
- Microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the crops we grow. They're even in clouds. Everywhere scientists look, they find microplastics.
- Toxic plastic chemicals are accumulating in our bodies, with studies finding them in our placentas and breast milk, testicles and organs, blood heart and even our brains. Research into how much we ingest and what that means for human health is ongoing.
That’s why every year, Reusable Planet encourages as many people as possible to join the Plastic Free July Challenge.
How to Get Started with Plastic Free July
Don’t try and do everything
Start small with one or two things you can easily change now to avoid single-use plastic, and grow from there.
Whatever capacity you participate in, and whether it’s for a day, a week, a month or forever, you are part of the solution in reducing the damaging affects of overuse of single-use plastic.
Progress...
Not perfection.
Change your everyday habits to reduce single-use plastic
- Say no to the plastic lid on your takeaway coffee cup
- Sip instead of suck when plastic straws are the only option
- Stay loose with your fresh produce instead of using a plastic bag, use a paper mushroom bag or grab a box instead.
- Buy plastic free swaps and reusable alternatives
Easy Plastic-Free Swaps You Can Make Today
- BYO coffee, juice and smoothie cups. Check out Responsible Cafes to support sustainable businesses near you!
- Take your own water supply in a BYO bottle instead of buying bottled water, or use tap.
- BYO food container for your takeaway lunch or snack items.
- BYO reusable shopping bags and produce bags. Keep some in your handbag / manbag / glovebox so you will always have them on hand for those last minute stops at the shops.
Why BYO Makes Such a Big Difference
Here's why they are the simplest and most effective BYO swaps you can make:
- Most takeaway cups are plastic lined so they don’t leak. That means they can’t be recycled in regular recycling streams. Plus there’s the lid, maybe a stirrer, a straw with your juice…
- Plus, you're pouring hot water on plastic and drinking it...
- A BILLION plastic water bottles are also discarded by Aussies each year. It takes 3L of water and 250ml of oil to make 1L of bottled water. A typical bottle of platic water contains 240,000 detectable plastic fragments.
- Food packaging and plastic drink bottles are the bulk of plastic litter found in the environment.
Join Millions Taking the Plastic Free July Challenge
Plastic Free July has grown from humble beginnings in one office in Perth, Western Australia in 2011. It now has millions of participants across more than 170 countries. Head over to the Plastic Free July website for more tips and ideas, and register to get tips and help straight to your inbox during July.
Looking for practical reusable alternatives? Browse our range of reusable coffee cups, drink bottles, lunch boxes and shopping bags to help you reduce single-use plastic every day.
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All our blog articles written by Rachel or our Guest Contributors are well researched and 100% written by a real person with lived experience in sustainable living. We hope you have learned something new, been inspired to make a small difference or simply enjoyed the read. To read more sustainable living articles, head over to our main blog page.
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