Are you up for a challenge?
What if it's a fun one?
Here we are! July 2023!
The second half of the year has officially started. Where DOES the time go?
This week, I’m hoping to rally you to join me on a fun challenge for the rest of July. Don’t worry. It doesn’t take a bunch of time or money. In fact, it might save you both.
Welcome to The LIFT
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PLASTIC FREE JULY
Before I go on, let me tell you about the challenge. It’s called Plastic Free July. It’s actually a global movement. Millions of people participate every year + it continues to grow. It was started by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) + a small team in local government in Western Australia.
Now it is one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world.
All you do is take the pledge to participate. Choose at least one single-use plastic that you pledge to avoid using in July. And give it a shot.
Maybe it’s that daily coffee to-go cup.
Maybe you refuse plastic straws + get yourself a stainless steel straw.
Maybe you find a better alternative for lining your trash bins.
Maybe you use your own shopping bags when shopping.
Maybe you avoid foods packaged in plastic + opt for bulk bins or loose produce.
You get the gist. Right?
If you join the global campaign challenge, you will receive weekly emails from them + will be inspired by stories shared from around the world.
If you would rather just keep things small + community-focused, then join my little group. I will send you tips + inspiration throughout the month. We can celebrate our wins together along the way. Maybe even discover some new alternatives or habits from each other.
Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from doing BOTH! I am!
I love leading challenges like this because it holds me accountable to my own goals + gives me a chance to inspire + cheer others along. My favorite things!
A LITTLE STORY
When I first got out of college, I naively joined a company that was selling water filters. Actually, it was a multi-level marketing company that was selling the opportunity to sell water filters to people who wanted to sell water filters to other people who wanted to sell water filters to people who wanted to sell water filters.
Yeah - that was a good lesson to learn in my early 20s. No one was actually selling water filters!! I was totally clueless about what was wrong with the whole business model. But I will say I learned A LOT that year - about business + entrepreneurship.
I also learned A LOT about reverse-osmosis filtration + what was wrong with our drinking water.
I remember the head of the company explaining that one day soon, the majority of people would be buying their drinking water in plastic bottles at the store.
In 1990, that seemed a little absurd. Why would someone buy drinking water when you could get it out of your sink?
Fast forward a few years.
In 2003, as a family of four, we would make our weekly or bi-weekly run to Costco where we purchased cases of plastic water bottles. (The guy was right!)
Our youngest would only let us buy a certain brand because she said they all tasted funny except for that one.
One day, I was getting ready to clean the car. Back then, we drove a huge Ford Expedition loaded with all of the latest features + a third row of seats.
That day, I found an empty plastic water bottle in EVERY cup holder.
EVERY cup holder had an empty plastic water bottle in it! There were also a few on the floor! I started counting them all. I’m pretty sure the car had at least 11 cup holders. Maybe it was 13. I had to get a (plastic) bag to collect them all.
That’s when I said…This HAS to stop.
I remember thinking - well, I should be glad my kids are drinking all of this water. At least, they drink water rather than soda + other less healthy options. But, look at the plastic! Surely, this can’t be sustainable.
We made the pledge right then + there to stop buying our water in plastic bottles. We never looked back.
Yes, it takes some work to change habits, but that one decision significantly reduced the waste in our recycle bin from that point on.
It felt good.
Since that time, we have all seen the impact of single-use plastic on our planet. In our oceans. Not to mention our water sources + even our food. We are also learning the connections of this waste to our own health.
Reducing plastic use is the most effective means of reducing plastic waste (including the impacts linked to plastic production + use).
We have bought into this idea that plastic can be recycled, but 91% of all plastic is not recycled at all! Instead, it ends up in landfills or the environment. It is also responsible for the growing concern about microplastics - which are inside ALL of us!
Many of the chemicals in plastics are known endocrine disruptors + research is finding that human exposure to these could cause health impacts including hormonal imbalances, obesity, reproductive problems like infertility + even cancer.
One example is the phthalate DEHP which is added to plastic goods like garden hoses + shower curtains to make them more flexible, but was found to be a probable human carcinogen. There are also phthalates in fragrance to make them ‘stick’. Plastic + its components are everywhere we look - even when we can’t see it.
Ironically, the plastic bottles that we carry our filtered water in are polluting our waterways. (We really messed up on that one!)
Ready to let go of a little plastic in your life?
LET’S DO IT TOGETHER
Plastic is ubiquitous in our world. You cannot avoid it entirely. But, we can absolutely reduce our addiction to the convenience of single-use plastic + stop ourselves from unnecessary waste.
Plastic Free July is really meant to raise awareness about plastic waste, while also helping you make small changes in your own life that can have a big impact on reducing plastic waste going forward.
Join me in this challenge.
Allow yourself to practice living with less single-use plastic for a few weeks. I promise you will learn something. Every year, I discover something I didn’t know.
All you have to do is say YES. Then choose one thing you will focus on:
Refuse single-use plastic
Bring a re-usable coffee cup when you grab coffee
Avoid using Ziplock bags or plastic food containers
Refuse plastic straws
Shop with your own reusable bags
Decorate with plastic-free party supplies + decorations
These are just a few examples. There are countless ways to cut back on single-use plastics. When you start paying attention, you will see PLENTY of opportunities to refuse single-use plastic in your daily life.
Are you in? Will you join me this month?
Leave a comment or message me + let me know. I’ll connect with you during the month to cheer you on + share wins along the way.
YOUR MISSION:
Say YES to Plastic Free July! That’s it! It’s easy! Let’s do this! Together!
RESOURCES:
READ: Plastic Free July
READ: Single Use Plastics 101 | NRDC
IN SUMMARY:
One of the things I’ve noticed the last few years while doing this challenge is that it inevitably inspires those around you to do the same. You don’t realize the influence you have just by making better choices for yourself. It’s fun to watch!
If you’re on Instagram, I’ll be sharing tips throughout the month on my page @itmaybemenopause. Come follow along!
See you next week?
Meanwhile - you can read thru the archives here. And, please reach out to me anytime!
Email: karen@itmaybemenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause
I'm giving up: plastic straws, plastic forks and all eating tools, and coffee cups. Barb M
My goal for the month is to use my own canvas grocery bag.
I don't know what to do about buying water in plastic bottles. I've tried everything to change. The only way I drink water is to buy Walgreen's 16.9 oz of purified water. Otherwise I don't drink water. It's a disgusting habit and I'm trying to break it, but nothing has worked so far, except I boil tap water and drink it hot as much as I can throughout the day... but tough to do in the summer and spring.
Great read, thank you.