{"id":3438,"date":"2023-07-24T15:12:58","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T14:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/?p=3438"},"modified":"2023-07-24T15:12:58","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T14:12:58","slug":"july-is-plastic-free-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/07\/24\/july-is-plastic-free-month\/","title":{"rendered":"July is Plastic Free Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

July is Plastic Free Month<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Plastics what\u2019s the big deal?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

50% of plastics in the world are made up of lightweight single-use products and packaging materials. The disposal process of these synthetic non-biodegradable plastics has become a problem for the environment, animals, and people.<\/p>\n

In 2018 it was estimated between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons of plastics were discarded into the ocean annually, by countries with ocean coastlines.<\/p>\n

The Ocean<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once in the ocean, sunlight and seawater react with the plastics. This causes it to become brittle, breaking down and turning into microplastics. These harmful by-products are then ingested by various types of wildlife, such as zooplankton, invertebrates, fish, turtles, birds, and mammals. In addition, ocean currents above and below the sea spread the debris over a wider area, and carry the waste back to the shore, where it affects land wildlife.<\/p>\n

Cleaning the oceans is a mammoth task and would cost billions, and as such is not a viable solution. The alternative option was to reduce the use of plastics, which would reduce the amount of waste needing disposal, and so the idea of Plastic Free Month was created.<\/p>\n

Plastic Free Month<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Join the movement and become part of the solution to help reduce plastic pollution. By replacing single use plastics, you use, one step at a time. Together we can have a massive impact on the overall output of single use non-recyclable plastics. The idea has already been embraced by a million plus participants in 190 countries since Plastic Free Month\u2019s began in 2011. By 2021 those taking part had reduced waste by 2.1 million tonnes.<\/p>\n

The Plastic Free Foundation<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Setup by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) and a small team in local government in Western Australia, it has grown to become one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world. Six years after its initial set up in 2011, Plastic Free July, led to the formation of the Plastic Free Foundation Ltd, an independent, not-for-profit charity that would support participants and grow the campaign. Plastic Free July has become a key initiative that allows the organisation to work towards a world free of plastic waste.<\/p>\n

Their core mission values are:<\/p>\n