reflections on plastic-free july
I have been living on low-impact/low waste for a couple of years now and, despite having decreased my waste by a lot, I am nowhere near being plastic-free or producing zero waste. And that is OK. Being plastic-free or zero-waste is nearly impossible in today’s society. Every aspect of our lives is a minefield with never-ending possibility to consume and, therefore, create waste.
With July approaching, I decided to do my best at being completely plastic-free for the month of July. In my mind, I thought it would not be that big of a step as I was not a newbie in the sustainability movement. How did it go? Not as well as I thought it would. What went wrong? Different factors converged, from convenience to necessity to lack of better choices.
But first, why plastic free July and how did the movement come around? Plastic Free July is an initiative which started in 2011 to challenge people and organisations to quit plastic for the month of July to both raise awareness on plastic pollution and to encourage people to adopt more eco-friendly practices. Plastic is at the centre of the movement because it has been shown to be one of the biggest pollutants in both our oceans and seas and on land. Contrary to other types of materials such as paper or metal, plastic is difficult to properly recycle and once it is in the environment it never goes away. Rather, as it cannot biodegrade, it breaks into microplastic and pollutes our Earth forever.
Going back to my experience of saying no to plastic for the whole month of July, I started well. For several days in a row, I managed to avoid plastic; taking my reusable cup to my favourite café, to buying produce at a bulk section at the supermarket and visiting my local greengrocer for a wider selection of loose fruit and vegetables. As for my personal care, I have been going strong with my beloved shampoo and soap bars and my menstrual cup. I prioritised sitting down for meals, rather than getting food on the go just for the sake of convenience.
All good and well, you would say! How about the obstacles towards plastic-free living?
I stumbled and fell, and that is an important thing to mention. While Instagram and other social media platforms show eco warriors always doing plastic-free living right, it is necessary to show imperfection. I truly resonate with this quote by Zero Waste Chef Anne Marie Bonneau, “We don’t need a handful of peopled doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions doing it imperfectly”. That is, if what prevents you from giving eco-friendly living a go is fear of imperfection: do it anyway! For every time you remember to take a reusable bag to the shop, or to get your coffee in a mug, you do have an impact. Sharing your experience with others, friends, family and flatmates not only makes the journey less lonely, but it can also inspire others to join the movement. When one of my friends messaged me with a picture of her new reusable water bottle, after one of my posts on why plastic water bottles are bad for the environment, I was incredibly happy!
And here is why my plastic-free July did indeed contain some plastic. Without delving too much on consumerism and its emphasis on over-consumption and quick disposable solutions, we have to acknowledge we live in a society where disposable plastic is highly present because of convenience. It is convenient to receive plastic cutlery when getting food at a takeaway place, or to get a drink in a plastic cup. Sometimes it is unavoidable because we do not have a better option. My trips to different greengrocers to achieve a plastic free fruit&veg shopping were constellated by spinach and other leaves contained in a plastic bag and berries kept snug in a plastic basket. Other times, it is about forgetfulness, such as forgetting to ask for your drink without a straw or forgetting to check if the bar has paper straws.
What did I learn? A lot about our society, for myself but also the impact that we as individuals can have on other people.
This past month has taught me what my reasons and obstacles to plastic-free living are and which situations make it difficult for me to fully commit. And I think that is what the initiative is about. In my opinion, plastic-free July is not a period where people should go cold-turkey and stop using plastic from one day to the next. It is journey and a process of trial and error, to try out more sustainable solutions and embark on a journey to make a positive necessary impact on how we are treating our planet. It should also not just be a month-long effort. This July (but really, any month or day) should be a starting point of an ongoing effort to rethink the choices we make on a daily basis.
One final remark which is necessary is that all of this stems from my privilege. I have the privilege of choosing what and where to shop, to be picky sometimes and to invest in certain solutions. Using privilege for good is what we should be doing if we share this privilege, but also working to dismantle the system which sustains inequality and uneven power structures.
Learn more about Plastic Free July here.