13 Jul July’s Action: Go Plastic-Free
Did you know? In the US alone, an estimated 42 million metric tons of plastic waste is produced annually—only 8.7% of which is recycled.
Today, approximately one trillion disposable food and beverage packaging items are used each year in the US, comprising 67% of litter found in the environment.
430 million metric tons of plastic is produced globally every year and 41% of it pollutes our planet. Each year, more than 10 million tons of plastic escapes the current system and leaks into the ocean. The biggest culprit is single-use items such as plastic cutlery, packaging and microplastics that break off of larger pieces of plastic.
In 2022, the global population used approximately 1.5 trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups, the second most common litter item found across seven aquatic environments globally in 2021; up to 168 billion of these containers will pollute aquatic systems.
Be part of the solution by pledging to reduce your plastic waste and refuse single-use plastics this Plastic Free July.
Actions you can take to reduce plastic waste
Plastic packaging is the single largest source of plastic waste, and it’s also one that we can do without.
- Send a message to your local chain supermarket that you want them to decrease packaging and increase bulk and refillables. Purchase loose produce whenever possible. Replace single-use plastic produce bags with reusable ones—bring them with you to the farmers market and grocery store.
- Buy a reusable water bottle and refill at home or on-the-go, and never buy a single-use bottle of water again. It takes 1 PET plastic bottle 700 years to start decomposing. Bacteria, which usually helps in breaking down organic materials, don’t like petroleum-based plastics. Technically, they can last forever.
- Grab a reusable cup for your morning coffee and skip paper or plastic. In the U.S. we throw away 50 billion coffee cups every year. These are coated with plastic to laminate the inside and are NOT accepted in our curbside recycling.
- Switch to reusable versions of single-use products – things you use once, then throw away- such as straws and utensils. These items are not accepted in our curbside recycling and like all plastic stuff, they most often end up in our environment, landfills, oceans, etc.
- Choose dine-in over take-out. When ordering a drink, request that they skip the straw. Bring your own storage container for left overs. As long as you transfer the food from your plate to your container, the restaurant won’t mind. When you do order out, request that they skip single-use utensils, condiment packages and any other single-use items.
- Shop at refill stores and tell your friends. GoGo Refill in South Portland also has a stand at the Crystal Springs Farmers Market, and Royal River Natural Foods has a large bulk section—they allow you to fill your own containers.
- Get involved! Reuse Maine is a group of volunteers working to reduce single-use waste and promote refill systems throughout the state.
For more ideas on reducing your single-use and plastic waste, and to sign onto the Plastic Free July campaign pledge, visit plasticfreejuly.org.