Plastic-Free July Is Here!

What Is Plastic-Free July?

Plastic Free July is a challenge that started in 2011 and encourages participants to lessen their use of single-use plastics throughout the month of July.

Going completely plastic-free and reducing certain types of plastic isn’t realistic for everyone, which is why Plastic-Free July is intended to be an opportunity to challenge yourself—it's about progress, not perfection! The goal of the month is to bring awareness and thought to how we consume single-use plastics, which will hopefully bleed into your life year round.

If this is your first time participating, challenge yourself to eliminate or reduce at least one major plastic item this month. Look at coffee cups, straws, water bottles, etc. then you can work your way up to eliminating 3-4 items and so on. Then onto trying to eliminate all plastic items for the month!

Why Is Plastic-Free July Important?

While the mass production of plastic began only six decades ago today, today it pervades nearly all aspects of modern lives on an unimaginable scale: 380 TONS of plastic is produced a year, which is nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.

A significant cause of this plastic crisis is due to the rise of single-use plastics. Single-use plastic accounts for 50% of all plastic produced in a year. Items like: plastic cups, straws, coffee stirrers, shopping bags, bottles that are used for mere minutes, can leave behind consequences for generations to come. Plus. compared to its production and consumption, The actual rate of recycling of plastic is alarmingly low: Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled and the remaining 91% is either incinerated, landfilled, or in the environment. Without recycling, plastics don’t really break down; they just break up smaller and smaller until over time they become microplastics which are hard to detect and everywhere.

The good news is that individually we can all work to reduce single-use plastic waste. On average, people generate 1,847 pounds of plastic waste per year underscoring just how important the Plastic Free July movement truly is. Individual action often inspires collective shifts, and that impact can add up quickly. So whether it’s simply switching to a reusable water bottle (and individually saving hundreds of plastic water bottles from landfills), your actions DO matter.

Blueland's Plastic-Free July Challenge:

This Plastic-Free July, we're getting personal. With the intention of directly serving our own Blueland community, our CEO and Co favorite eco-conscious queen to highlight the excess, unnecessary, and often ridiculous plastic present in our everyday lives. Together, we're kicking off a community challenge: share your favorite plastic swap on Instagram and for every picture posted, Blueland will donate $10 to Beyond Plastics—a non-profit working to end single-use plastic pollution.

This Plastic-Free July, we're getting personal. With the intention of directly serving our own community, Blueland CEO and co-founder, Sarah Paiji Yoo, will be meeting with 10 individuals for personalized consultations to discuss plastic-free living and suggested plastic-free swaps for their unique households and routines.

The Details:

What you’ll get: 20 minute 1-on-1 consultation with Sarah to discuss personalized plastic-free recommendations for your unique home routine.

When it will happen: Friday, July 17th. Session time booked through Calendly. 10 available spots—first come, first served!