Plastic Free July in a Pandemic: Ways to Still Say No to Plastic

Things are a bit different this Plastic Free July (pandemic), and you may not be able to refuse plastic in ways you previously did, but there are still ways in which you can reduce your plastic usage this month. We list 10 of them.

Plastic Free July may be even harder than usual this year, with many seeing single-use as safer and a necessary evil right now (it isn’t and isn’t - see our previous blog post, Reusables' Safety Is Being Questioned: Can Reusable Coffee Cups & Containers Be Contagious?, for more info on this and why it is safe to use reusables), but while you may not be able to refuse and reduce plastic in ways you previously did, there are still heaps of ways to say see-ya to plastic. Why not try a new one?

We share 10 ways to reduce plastic use in a pandemic below. But first, some important notes:

Firstly, it is important to respect business owners and others’ decisions, so if a store, cafe or restaurant, or person chooses to use plastic right now and refuses to accept your reusables or use reusables, respect their decision. We all have a lot going on and we need to be kind to one another. Simply asking a business for a plastic-free option shows them that you care about this and even though they may say no now, they may change this in the future because they know customers like you care about it.

Secondly, it is important to note that Plastic Free July is not about going 100% plastic free in one month; it is about becoming aware of the amount of single-use plastic we create, seeing the unnecessary plastic wrapped around products and realising that there are alternatives. So, if you only choose one plastic item to remove from your life this month, that’s great - you don’t have to do it all! It’s about making a start and continuing on from there.

It is worth reading the blog post we wrote for Plastic Free July last year, How To Survive Plastic Free July: 6 Survival Tactics We Use, which has some great overarching tips on tackling the month and is still relevant, especially tip number one: plan ahead.

1. Choose what is not in plastic packaging

   The easiest way to avoid plastic is to simply choose an option that has packaging that is not plastic when you have a choice, such as:

   • loose fruit and vegetables when grocery shopping - keep them plastic free by placing them straight into your bag, basket or trolley (the CDC, FDA and CDPH are not aware of any reports at this time that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food so loose food is not a risk - wash as normal before eating)

   • the food or beauty product option packaged in a reusable or recyclable glass jar, metal tin or cardboard box

   • takeaway from cafes and restaurants that comes in a non-plastic reusable or compostable container or dine in using non-disposables if this is an option

   • choose to get an ice-cream in a cone instead of a plastic-lined cup

2. Research a plastic-free version of something or plastic-free way of doing something

   Although you might not be able to change the way you do something this month, if you find yourself using plastic in some way, start thinking about and finding a way to do this in the future that doesn’t involve plastic.

   For instance:

   • you are currently using and have a roll of clingfilm - when this is finished could you find a plastic-free way of covering food so you don’t need to buy another roll of clingfilm? (options include beeswax wraps, covering a bowl with a plate, reusable bowl covers (UK here / AU here) or putting the food in a closed container with a lid)

   • you are currently using deodorant in a plastic spray can - when this is finished is there a different deodorant you could try that is not packaged in plastic?

   You can use the month to make a note of plastic you currently use and changes you will make and how you will make them.

3. Make your own DIY homemade version of something that you normally buy in plastic

   You could choose one thing that you usually buy in plastic and learn to make it at home from scratch instead.

   Hummus and other dips, which usually come in plastic tubs, are a good example and are easy to make yourself, with loads of recipes available online. Other examples are plant-based milk, stock, burger patties, falafels, and tortillas.

   You’ll find the recipes we use for hummus and pesto, as well as recipes for other things we now cook from scratch in our kitchen in our Cooking From Scratch: Our Top 5 Simple Homemade Versions For Your Zero Waste Kitchen blog post.

4. Start growing your own herbs for waste-free seasoning

   Homegrown food is a great way to avoid the plastic throughout the process of transporting food as well as plastic packaging.

   Herbs especially usually come wrapped in plastic and in bunches too big to use it all, which results in wastage, and they are a great place to start as they are generally easy to grow and can be grown on a kitchen windowsill if you have no outdoor space.

   Find a rosemary bush or mint growing in your neighbourhood and take a cutting to propagate or buy some seeds or an already established plant and care for your new plant baby and it will provide plastic-free, no-cost flavour.

5. Refuse plastic items you don’t need & use a reusable option when you do need it

   Say no thank you to plastic items you don’t need like plastic straws, plastic bags, receipts (yes they contain plastic and they can’t be recycled), the plastic lid on your takeaway coffee cup (every bit counts!), sauce sachets and soy fish, and plastic cutlery.

   Carry your own reusable version to use when you do need an on-the-go option (we share what is in our zero waste kit here) like a reusable water bottle, bamboo, steel or glass reusable straw and a reusable cutlery set you carry with you.

6. Dog owners, ditch the plastic dog poop bags

   A few Plastic Free Julys ago we were looking for an alternative to the plastic dog poo bags the park supplied for us to pick up our dog’s poo when on walks and we came across a way to make newspaper pouches that can be used for this purpose.

   We have step-by-step instructions on how to make these here.

   These days, we have simplified the process and simply use a sheet of newspaper, junk mail or magazine page to pick it up, twisting the top closed. Free and plastic-free poop bags!

7. Use a reusable shopping bag & produce bags

   Although surface transmission risks are low and transmission of the virus from surface contact has never been documented, other people may not want to touch your reusables. No one else has to touch your reusable shopping bag if you bag your own groceries and produce bags can be used without anyone else touching them.

   To be extra careful, we make sure our produce bags don’t touch anything in store and we only touch the vegetables we are buying and put them in the bags, and when using tongs for things like spinach leaves, we make sure that the tongs don’t touch the produce bag, although you should only have to worry about the handle and our bags are always washed and clean.

   Put these in the laundry basket or straight into the washing machine after unpacking your groceries and wash them before using them again. Like with any outing, as recommended, we don’t touch our faces and wash our hands when we get home.

8. Get your groceries delivered plastic free via a delivery service or bulk food store

   If you are isolating or quarantined, try and find a plastic free grocery delivery service or bulk food store that is doing deliveries. A lot of bulk food stores and farmers markets that have had to close have turned to online deliveries and while your groceries won’t be zero waste, they will be mostly plastic free.

   Our Grocery Deliveries: Get Locally Grown Produce & Bulk Food Delivered To Your Door blog post, shares businesses delivering locally grown food and bulk groceries with as little plastic and waste as possible. Check whether your local bulk store or farmers market is delivering if you’re staying home and check if it is open and allowing you to bring your own containers (and check any new policies it has put in place) if you’re leaving the house.

9. Get a contactless takeaway coffee, contactless takeaway food & contactless bread or make your own at home

   Avoid a plastic-lined takeaway cup by getting a contactless coffee in a reusable coffee cup. This involves the barista making your coffee in a reusable in-house vessel and then simply pouring it into your cup without touching it. Go to a cafe that has implemented this or ask your local if they could do it this way. Here’s how it is done step by step:

   • 1. Pour the coffee shot into an in-house vessel

   • 2. Have the customer set their cup on the counter

   • 3. Pour the shot into the cup without touching it

   • 4. Pour steamed milk on top

   • 5. Have the customer place their own lid on

   A contactless exchange of takeaway food can also be done in some cases, for example when the server can pick up the food item with tongs and place it directly in the reusable container you are holding out. Bread can also be bought zero waste in this way by you holding out an open fabric bread bag and the server dropping the bread in without them touching the bread bag (AU here, UK here or here, and US/CAN here).

   If dine-in is available but you want a takeaway in your own container, you can order in so that they serve it on one of their in-house plates and then transfer it into your reusable container to take home yourself so they don’t have to touch it.

   Another option is to skip the takeaway coffee, food and bread from the bakery and make your own at home.

   Another other option is to use a reusable scheme…

10. Use a reusable food container return & refill scheme

    The use of swap and go reusable systems, such as Returnr steel takeaway food containers and cups and Green Caffeen swap and go coffee cups, has continued throughout the corona crisis and it has been mostly business as usual for those offering online ordering and delivery of foods and beauty and cleaning products in reusables.

    We discuss reuse systems in depth in this blog post: The Future Of Reusables: Are Reuse Systems Not Personal Reusables The Solution Going Forward? and we share a number of companies offering return and refill in this blog post: Return and Refill Revolution: Small Businesses Are Creating Local Circular Economies For These 5 Industries.

    Find and support a circular reuse system in your city instead of opting for single-use.

Hopefully these have given you some ideas of ways you can personally reduce the plastic in your life this month and in the future! We’d love to hear from you in the comments on how you plan to go plastic free this July, as well as any ways you would add to this list.

If you’re after broader ways to reduce plastic usage in your community and not just in your own home, our Replicable, Workable Zero Waste Solutions for Streets, Communities, & Businesses blog post shares 26 workable sustainable solutions that have been implemented by streets, communities and businesses that can be easily replicated.

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