Plastic Free July - Will you take up the challenge?

Trying to live without plastic for a month turned everything upside down for us. 'How do I brush my teeth?', 'where do I buy my food?', 'how do I clean?', were some of the problems we faced. This is where our search for eco-friendly products began and this is how Zo Zero was born, a social enterprise born from the ambition to reduce the use of disposable plastics and help others to do so.

Now it's Plastic Free July (PFJ), our favorite month of the year!  PFJ is a global movement that empowers people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution. A great opportunity to challenge yourself, together with many others, to stop using single-use plastics. Will you join PFJ by choosing not to use single-use plastics for a month?

Why participate in Plastic Free July?

Because there is an excess of plastic being produced, most of which ends up as waste after only a few minutes of use. Plastic waste is difficult to recycle and most of it ends up in overflowing landfills or in the environment. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and never disappears completely. Marine animals, from plankton to whales, eat plastic, our waste. If we continue like this, the sea will soon contain more plastic than fish.

PFJ is a fun way to get acquainted with sustainable alternatives to disposable plastic. Are you up for the challenge? Then register for the PFJ challenge and receive useful tips & tricks. Below are a few tips from us to help you on your way!

Easy Plastic Free July swaps

There is so much single-use plastic in our lives that it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to cutting down! That’s why we recommend starting with a few easy steps to prevent waste.

1. Choose not to use disposable (coffee) cups.

You may be wondering what's wrong with a paper coffee cup, but unfortunately, the cups aren't just made of paper. They have a layer of plastic on the inside to make sure they're waterproof.

It’s incredibly easy to avoid coffee to-go cups by bringing your own reusable cup. Keep the cup in your bag, on your desk, or somewhere else where you won’t forget it. If you do forget it, treat yourself to a moment of rest in a cozy coffee shop. Coffee tastes much better from a real cup anyway!

2. Choose not to use plastic bags.

The problem with plastic bags is that animals eat them or get entangled in them. When plastic bags end up in nature, they break down into tiny microplastic particles that never decompose and can be found everywhere: in water, soil and air.

Reusable grocery bags are a great alternative to single-use plastic bags that you often only use for 10 minutes to bring your groceries home. Keep the bags in your backpack, by the front door, or in the trunk of your car so you don’t forget them. Take your reusable bags not only to the grocery store, but also when you go shopping.

3. Choose not to use coral-unfriendly sunscreen from a plastic bottle.

Coral reefs around the world are threatened by pollution, while they are vital for biodiversity and coastline protection.

Fortunately, there are more and more good mineral sunscreens without harmful ingredients and in sustainable packaging that are just as good as conventional sunscreens.

4. Choose not to use care products that contain microplastics.

Microplastics are so small that you can't fish them out of the environment. Animals, but also people, ingest these harmful nanoplastics. These small plastic particles are processed in many care products, such as scrubs, toothpaste and (face) creams.

A simple way to check whether your care products contain microplastics is to look at the website of 'Beat the Microbead', or download their app. Nowadays there are many plastic-free and natural care products that are better for your health and the environment.

Get inspired

These are just a few examples of how to avoid single-use plastic. For more tips, visit the PFJ website, follow the Plastic Soup Foundation for inspiration or take a look at our website for more tips. Make sure you start with the products that are easiest for you to replace. If you find it difficult or exciting to use new products, or you are very attached to your old ones, you are more likely to stop. Therefore, try to gradually find reusable, sustainable alternatives that suit you and that can become new habits. Together we can make a difference and be part of the solution!