Take Plastic Free July one step further this year: hold the real polluters accountable

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Reducing plastic waste in our everyday lives is important, but it’s time to hold the real polluters accountable.

Individual actions matter. But the entire system needs changing.

Those who have previously participated in Plastic Free July, which has been running since 2011, know there are some simple actions many of us can take to reduce our personal plastic footprint. It can be by bringing our reusable coffee cup to the cafe, taking our tote bags to the supermarket, and ensuring our refillable water bottle, like sunscreen and chapstick, is part of our essential summer kit. We’re all proud and excited to do our part and, rightly so, feel great knowing that we are making a difference.

But while these lifestyle changes are important, they only make a small dent in the enormous plastic problem we are facing. So while we’re all doing our best, even the most conscientious shopper among us will struggle to be 100 percent plastic free as single-use plastic packaging is seemingly everywhere and alternatives are hard to find. Throwaway plastic is also almost omnipresent in the fast moving consumer goods sector in the straws, takeout containers, soda bottles, and snack bags that we encounter as we go about our lives.