What is Plastic Free July and How I’m Participating in 2026
I’m making it a goal this month to use ZERO plastic. A wild endeavor to be sure. In a world where everything is made of plastic, is this even possible?
Before we talk about how I’m going to make this challenge possible, let’s talk about the plastic free movement that gave rise to Plastic Free July.
Why plastic-free?
The plastic-free movement goes hand in hand with other environmental movements, from zero waste to stopping pollution and everything in between. The largest organizers to prevent plastic waste is Break Free From Plastic, which started in 2016. Maybe you have a similar story to mine when it comes to living zero waste. This was when zero-waste and plastic-free living really started to take off online. This was the age of videos of turtles with straws in their noses, images of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and more. It sure drew me into the movement!
While these days there is a lot less shame on the individuals for using plastic and more blame on the corporations producing the stuff, going plastic-free is still a huge part of the sustainability movement. And this is for two main reasons that really overlap: plastic is toxic to the planet and our own health. From incineration of plastic, which can cause respiratory issues in humans and other animals, to microplastics breaking down in our waterways and ending up in our soil, food chain, and our own bodies, to the extraction of oil to make the plastic in the first place, it’s 100% pollutive from birth to grave.
The goal of the plastic-free movement is to aid our own health and protect every living thing on the planet.
What is Plastic Free July?
Thus, PFJ was born! According to Plastic Free July’s official website, the month is “a shared global movement that helps millions of people reduce plastic waste through simple, everyday choices and be part of the solution to plastic pollution. That way, we can enjoy cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.”
The first one was held in 2011, and the rest has been history! Their website is full of ways to take action and even gives you tips for items that you find difficult to swap out.
It’s important to note that they also emphasize that this is a goal to reduce single-use plastic, not all plastic entirely. At least, not all at once. Take a look at your everyday life and how much plastic is in it: parts of your car, your laptop, food packaging, makeup, skincare, haircare, even our clothing is made from plastic! Instead of getting anxious over this mass of plastic in our lives, they (and I) encourage us to start small. Pick one area of your life at a time to de-plasticize.
It really is about small steps that add up in the long run and become habitual over time. Once, say, using a reusable water bottle becomes a habit, it’s time to swap out another piece of plastic. Baby steps absolutely matter!
How I’m going to be doing this challenge
Since I’ve been zero waste for a few years, I feel like I can absolutely jump into this challenge cold turkey and try to not use a single piece of single-use plastic all month long. Here are my rules:
Target single-use plastic, especially my high-volume items such as berries, hummus, and tortillas
When thrifting, look for natural fibers and other natural materials. For example, opt for a linen shirt vs polyester or a notebook with a paper cover instead of a plastic cover.
If I have to consume plastic, find a way to repurpose it vs throwing it away or recycling it
Multi-use plastic is fine, but it should be limited. For example, I love to get juice at the farmers’ market in plastic, but they do take their bottles back for a refill. Other farmers’ market stalls also accept plastic berry baskets for return.
So, I’m going all in! I’m going to try to make my own hummus again and do other DIYs like kombucha, tortillas, other breads, and so forth. I’d love to see my grocery cart full of package-free items and items in other packaging like metals, paper, and glass. While it’s true that no single-use material is great, plastic truly is the worst (learn more here).
I am also going to see if there are places in my house where I CAN reduce multi-use plastic, too, such as reusable plastic plates, and plastic clothing I’ve been meaning to donate, not buying new yarn if it’s made of plastic, and things like that. Though this will just be the second priority to single-use plastic.
Thoughts before the challenge
I will be vlogging this monthly challenge (stay tuned for the vlog on YouTube) and giving you my final thoughts in August. Off the bat, I do think it will be a challenge, but I think it will help me form some good habits. I’ve been slacking off on my plastic consumption for the last year or two, so I’m curious to see what will change when I limit myself.
I think it will be a challenge, but not too hard since I’ve already done a lot in recent years to reduce my reliance on plastic. I already shop at the refill store for most of my items, so I will just frequent that store more for package-free goods. I already make my own sourdough, which greatly reduced my thin plastic consumption, but I can for sure try out other breads.
Things I will not be limiting are healthcare needs. I rely on prescription medication in plastic to live a normal life and will never give those up. If I get sick (knock on wood), I will not hesitate to do what I need to do to get healthy and keep others safe by wearing a mask.
The biggest challenge I see is that we are taking a California road trip this month to go dancing and see the sights. I’m super excited for this, as we have lived here for nearly two years and still haven’t seen much of the state! But traveling makes it hard to be zero waste. I will have to plan drinks and snacks accordingly and strive to stop at restaurants and shops that reduce their use of plastic and allow me to get plastic-free snacks. But I will not go hungry for the sake of this challenge.
Another huge challenge for me will be breakfast. It’s my most plastic-heavy meal of the day since I eat tofu and toast with hummus on it. I can make hummus from scratch easily, but not tofu. There is no plastic-free tofu option in my area. This is my go-to breakfast as someone with sensory issues who truly despises breakfast. So, I’ll have to get creative with a vegan protein option that doesn’t include plastic…sounds hard!
Speaking of challenge foods for me, that would be fruit. Though fruit is usually tastier in the summer, and I have an easier time finding stuff from the farmers market that I like. But, I usually eat oranges that I get in those red netted bags, so I will seek to find them package-free!
Overall, I think doing this month-long challenge is the perfect amount of time to reflect, make changes, and build good habits. It’s a little too late this year, but in the future, I suggest doing a trash audit in June first. A trash audit is where you keep all of your trash for a certain amount of time. Of course, it’s clean and dry. You do not have to hoard dirty diapers, for example. But the point is so that you can see where your most-used plastic (and other single-use items) is. For me, I know mine is tofu and hummus. But if you don’t know what yours are, a trash audit is a great way to better understand your consumption habits and help you make changes moving forward.
Overall, I hope you join me in this challenge and do so lightly. This is not an excuse to beat yourself up. This is a chance to learn how to care for the planet better and also for yourself! While I am going to go hard and strive for perfection, I also know that perfection is impossible. I will not use that as an excuse to consume plastic this month, but if I stumble, especilaly while traveling, I’m not going to be too hard on myself for that.
We live in a plastic-obsessed world. While I am going to strive to make personal changes this month, I am also going to use this month to write to companies that need to do better, sign petitions, and call my reps to demand that they take action to reduce plastic and petroleum pollution that harms us all. If companies did better for the planet, it would allow me to have access to more eco-friendly items. Know where to aim the blame!
I hope you enjoy this challenge. I’ll see you in August for a recap and review!
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
