10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use in Your Life

Millions of people around the world are getting single-use plastics out of their lives. Plastic Free July is the perfect time to join in — and we’ve got the expert tips to help.

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July 06, 2021

By: Lauren Oster

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Reducing Plastic Waste Grew From a Moment to a Movement

Rebecca Prince-Ruiz of Perth, Australia, challenged herself to avoid single-use plastic for the month of July 2011. A decade later, her local action has blossomed into a community of 250 million like-minded people in 177 countries; Plastic Free July participants avoided creating 900 million kilograms of plastic waste in 2020 alone.

Ready to take the challenge this July and beyond? Sign up with Rebecca’s Plastic Free Foundation to become an official participant, and read on for pros' advice on key swaps and practices to reduce the plastic in your life.

Reduce Plastic Use by Cutting Down on Food Waste

When you’re trying to reduce your consumption of single-use materials, “be sure to eat all the food you buy,” says Anne-Marie Bonneau, the author of The Zero-Waste Chef and a blogger who has lived plastic-free since 2011. “You’ll throw out less food and as a result, buy less food and less packaging, almost all of which is plastic. By eating all the food you buy, you’ll reduce not only plastic waste but also food waste, a driver of climate change.”

Anne-Marie’s new book offers both spend-less-and-use-what-you’ve got tips and recipes and handy prep and storage tactics.

Pre-Pack Reusable Containers When You Shop

Toting reusable grocery bags is an excellent way to sidestep plastic use on shopping trips — and prepping one as a “to-go bag” with glass jars for bulk items, metal containers for meat and fish, and cloth bags for produce before you plan to head to the market turns sustainable shopping choices into no-brainers. Bonus: You’ll likely reach for healthier items as well. “Fresh produce comes in its own packaging so choose fresh, whole foods over highly packaged, highly processed foods,” Anne-Marie says. “If you have access to bulk bins, bring clean containers to fill up (not all stores allow this, especially during Covid, but rules are beginning to loosen up).”

Bring Your Own Utensils and Napkins When You Travel

‘Tis the season for feasts on the boardwalk, pulling over for roadside barbecue, visiting your favorite vacation spot… and all of that low-key, delicious eating can add up to a mountain of discarded plastic straws, cups, utensils and so on. Erin Boyle, a sustainable-living blogger and author of Simple Matters, packs reusable versions for her family of five. “We generally just grab whatever clean cloth napkins we have (I love cotton block-printed napkins from 21Tara) and our regular stainless steel utensils,” she says. “We do have four enamelware plates and four stainless steel tumblers that we nearly always pack with us when we’re headed out for a long picnic or park day.”

Stick to Sustainable Swimwear to Avoid Polluting Waterways

Summertime staples like bathing suits and rash guards are usually made of synthetic materials that aren’t biodegradable — and they shed tiny plastic microfibers that pollute our waterways and sicken sea life. You can reduce demand for new plastic products by reaching for pieces like Cosmo Crew’s Bye Bye Plastic rash top (above), created with recycled fabric (78% poly and 22% elastane); it’s sturdy enough to last all season and suitable for snow climates, too.

Reduce Microplastics With an Environmentally Sustainable Washing Bag

Extend the life of the synthetic materials you already own — and prevent those aforementioned microfibers from draining through waste water into rivers and oceans — by adding them to a Guppyfriend washing bag before popping them in your machine. The patented bag substantially reduces fiber breakages in your clothing, and the particles your pieces do shed will be trapped for removal and disposal instead of washing down the drain. “We have one large Guppyfriend bag that we use if washing items made with synthetic fibers,” Erin says. “We don’t own a ton of those things, so it’s usually reserved for loads with activewear!”

Rethink Storage in the Fridge and Freezer

Transitioning away from plastic containers, bags and wraps is simpler than you might think. Anne-Marie stores fruit and vegetables like melons and onions by placing them cut-side down on flat plates or pie dishes and refrigerating. As for baking, “Every pastry recipe tells you to wrap pastry in plastic wrap. I flatten and chill it between two plates,” she says. And extra-cold storage? “People are really amazed that I freeze food in jars,” Anne-Marie says. The keys to doing so without breakage: always leave headspace for liquids to expand as they freeze, choose wide jars without necks or shoulders and arrange your freezer carefully so jars don’t fall out when you open the door.

Switch to Packaging-Free Products

Translating the tactics of Plastic Free July to practices you can maintain on a permanent basis is all about up-front research and investments that pay off over time. Use sites like Package Free — which features a wide array of sustainable brands to offer a vast assortment of products — to identify swaps that suit your circumstances. If you’re not quite sure where to begin, try a curated zero-waste kit like Lauren’s Essentials (above) featuring starter items that eliminate the need for common single-use plastics.

Try Eco-Friendly First Aid Gear

When you’ve gotten the hang of using building blocks like reusable utensils and food storage containers, branch out into restocking the single-use plastics you’ve already got with products like bamboo bandages. Made with organic fibers and hypoallergenic adhesive, these little strips are ideal for sensitive skin and won’t stick around in landfills.

Prepare for Emergencies — and to Forgive Yourself

Investing in alternatives to single-use plastic now can make it easier to avoid unexpected and less-desirable purchases later. “In the early days of the pandemic, when things like diapers and paper towels and other disposables were being cleared off of shelves in record numbers, it was helpful to already have reusables at home,” Erin recalls. “Our now-16-month-old was less than a month old when the city shut down, for instance, but our trusty cloth diaper service never stopped showing up for us and we were hugely grateful.”

Erin is a sustainable-living pro, but she’s also human: “I should probably own up to the fact that I’ve had more iced coffees in plastic to-go cups in the past year than I had had in the previous five years combined. The pandemic has definitely made it harder to hand over my own reusables for refilling and in a year when I’ve had to be so vigilant about so many things, I’ve lapsed a bit in some of my rigidity. That said, Plastic Free July is here and I’ve been making big jugs of sun tea and toting that to the park in an effort to get back on track.”

Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act

Introduced to Congress on March 25th, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021 (H.R. 2238, S. 984) would crack down on plastic by holding its manufacturers and producers accountable for its reduction and recycling. It’s bold legislation that would have wide-ranging effects on our environment — and it needs all the support it can get. Read more about the #breakfreefromplastic movement here, and enter your return address here to send letters urging your representatives to co-sponsor the Act.

10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use in Your Life

Related To:

Shop This Look

Reducing Plastic Waste Grew From a Moment to a Movement

Reduce Plastic Use by Cutting Down on Food Waste

Pre-Pack Reusable Containers When You Shop

Bring Your Own Utensils and Napkins When You Travel

Stick to Sustainable Swimwear to Avoid Polluting Waterways

Reduce Microplastics With an Environmentally Sustainable Washing Bag

Rethink Storage in the Fridge and Freezer

Switch to Packaging-Free Products

Try Eco-Friendly First Aid Gear

Prepare for Emergencies — and to Forgive Yourself

Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act

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