This is a month to celebrate the power of our actions because small actions truly do create a big impact (and healthier oceans). With 31 days in July, we have the opportunity to practice a sustainable and plastic-free lifestyle, and it doesn’t have to be hard! There are many ways to cut plastic from our daily lives this month and it all starts with taking a look at our everyday actions…

Starting with The Big Four:

1. Plastic Grocery Bags. 12 minutes is the average lifespan of a plastic bag and over one trillion plastic grocery bags are used around the world every year! Too many of these end up in the ocean. If your grocery store allows, bring your reusable bags while shopping this month – it’s an easy and effective way to reduce our plastic consumption.
2. To-Go Coffee Cups. To-go coffee cups are made from a lot of plastic and A LOT of people use them. Not usually recycled, to-go coffee cups are a convenient way to have your morning or afternoon coffee, but not a sustainable choice. We know many places are not allowing reusable cups right now, but if you can, bring a reusable cup and cut down on that plastic usage. Or, save money and make your coffee or tea at home!
3. Single-Use Straws. Over 500 million plastic straws are used in the U.S. every single day and none of them can be recycled through normal recycling channels. With over 1,200 species endangered from ingesting or entanglement of plastic, single-use straws are a big part of the problem. Check out the many alternatives and start sipping with your reusable straw this month!
4. Plastic Water Bottles. One million plastic water bottles are purchased every MINUTE. There are many reasons to invest in a reusable water bottle. Not only will you end up saving money and reduce your consumption of single-use, you’ll be choosing the safer and healthier option. A lot of single-use bottles are made with chemicals like BPA, which are not good for you or our planet.

Staying away from The Big Four this month is a fantastic way to celebrate Plastic Free July. You can also practice refusing single-use plastic items and reusing anything and everything that can be refilled or repurposed. This month will hopefully be a fun challenge and also a way to spread awareness about the plastic issue to the people in your lives.

Free the Ocean’s mission is first to remove plastic from the ocean and coastlines but second to create awareness and give people ways to make changes that help keep plastic out of the ocean in the first place! For everyone in the FTO community, thank you for helping us make a difference, each and every day. Here’s to a great Plastic Free July.