Worried about the next generation? You should, we all should, and therefore we honour Saturday, 3 July 2021, as International Bag Free Day. Actually, the whole of July is focused on being plastic-free. Even though recycling is emphasised everywhere, there doesn’t seem to be a desired worldwide movement around the idea of how easy it actually is to recycle.
Be part of the solution so that we can have cleaner streets, oceans and beautiful communities. How? Simply refuse the single-use of plastic! Will you take the challenge with us, Sandton?
Unfortunately, plastic has become the number one product people use daily, despite how damaging it is to the environment – our home. Maybe some individuals are not fully educated about the dangers of plastic, and some might be, but as soon as they arrive home, they remove their groceries from the thin plastic bags and toss the bags with thoughtless abandonment, just like a kid opening presents…
Take the Challenge
Even if this would be your first Plastic Free July, we urge you to join 326 million participants from 177 countries across the globe. Access the resources and ideas to help you, which you can share with others, to help reduce single-use plastic waste every day at home, work, school, or even at your local café or restaurant.
By making a small change, collectively, we can make a massive difference. Not only should this be a month-long event, but it should ultimately extend beyond 31 July. Find great alternatives today that’ll become new habits forever.
Sign up here for weekly tips and tricks from other participants, as well as stories and, of course, news. Anyone can sign up and start small, or if you’re ambitious, challenge yourself! If you are just starting, there are several basic aspects to consider: takeaway coffee cups, fruits and vegetables, plastic straws, plastic water bottles, things at the bakery, meat, fish and deli products, etc. Have a look here.
If you’ve covered the fundamentals, learn what the next steps are. There are also guidelines for the following; be sure to check out each of them –
Find Some Inspiration
If you’re curious about what other people have done, read some inspirational stories from participants here. There are some fascinating scenarios, such as ‘How Lucie said ‘goodbye’ to the top four single-use plastics’, ‘How having children inspired Shirley to become zero-waste, and ‘Every year, Rachel’s workplace saves 70,000 plastic cups from landfill’.
We hope you choose to be part of this incredibly favourable lifestyle, but even if you choose only one day, choose paper over plastic. Take your own bags to the store or if you are a retailer, start a program to encourage your customers to bring in their own reusable containers and stop offering plastic bags as an option. Resources to help you achieve a plastic-, and waste-free lifestyle, for that matter, are available such as videos, products, posters and other valuable assets.
Let’s work towards a vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste, Sandton. To new humble beginnings!
Read more about our recycling stations in Sandton here.
