Exciting – Plastic Free July preparation!

I love a challenge, and the first step is to determine exactly what the challenge is! On the official Plastic Free July page, you can choose from a number of options, such as:

• Avoid single-use plastic packaging
• Target takeaway items
• Go completely plastic free

We are going for our own version of the last option – go completely plastic free. We aren’t going to stop using anything plastic or in plastic packaging – if we already have it, it would be a waste not to use it – but are going to attempt to not buy anything new which contains plastic (so second-hand is ok), or anything in plastic packaging. We have a couple of exceptions, which are:

• painkillers and medicine – as painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol are impossible to buy without plastic (and non-recyclable packaging) in the UK, and similarly most prescription medicines include plastic in their packaging, we are not going to forego these
• emergency household fixing supplies – if something goes wrong in the house, which it is imperative it is replaced promptly, we will buy it even if plastic/in plastic packaging

The second step is to plan our our food and household shopping for the month. I have made a meal plan for the month (which we generally do anyway). I have tried not to cheat and include only items I know we already buy plastic free! Next, I have reviewed the plan, and highlighted the plastic items to remove, and come up with a solution, many of which require learning to to make something, or switching to new supplier. I am going to work my way through these things this month, so we can start July as prepared as possible.

Plastic item to remove	Solution
Fruit/veg	Do not buy unless plastic free – shop mainly at market
Yoghurt	Make it
Milk	Get glass bottle delivery
Garlic bread	Make it
Naan bread	Make it
Cream	Do without unless can source plastic free
Meat	Buy from local butcher unpackaged and put in own containers
Fish	Buy from marker fishmonger and put in own containers
Chocolate	Buy in foil and paper only
Coffee	Switch to plastic-free packaging supplier
Frozen veg	Source packing-free bulk supplier
Hummous	Make it

I’ll post updates on my exploits to prepare for each of the points above during June.

Are you doing Plastic Free July? What challenge are you doing? What are you doing to prepare and what do you think will be difficult?