As we reach the end of Plastic Free July, a movement which encourages millions of us to participate in the solution to plastic pollution and reduce our plastic usage throughout the month, we thought we would reflect and provide tips so you can continue this beyond July.

We all want a cleaner planet, and during the beginning of the lockdown it seemed as if the planet was breathing a sigh of relief. Plastic consumption was being challenged and lessened pre COVID-19 but currently we are using more single use plastic than ever (PPE and single-use carrier bags). We understand why, with the potential for the virus to live on packaging. However, there are changes we can make to reduce this as lockdown eases.

The campaign so far has inspired over 250 million people to join across 177 countries. Each person making a small change will collectively make a massive difference. You can choose to refuse single-use plastics in July (and forever hopefully!).

THE IMPACT:

• Plastic seems to be everywhere - we have all seen photos of it in our oceans or washing up on the beach.
• It harms wildlife, we have all seen rubbish tossed on the side of the road, and animals can mistake this for food.
• Not all plastic produced is recyclable and not everyone recycles that plastic.

Plastic has a long life, the benefit of this means it can be reused, refilled and recycled. If you are looking to make a conscious effort to move away from plastic then check out the possible options. All of which can be small changes but if multiple people take part, can have a huge impact.

PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES:

Will you join in and help Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? There are so many ways you can help and we have listed some of the options below.

• Take your own bags to the supermarket
• Carry your own reusable cup to the café - some coffee shops even give you money off when bring your own – win win!
• Purchase refill bottles (in the long-term saving money as well as reducing the plastic waste)
• Recycle everything you can to prevent items going into landfill
• Switch to a razor with replaceable stainless-steel blades (these can be recycled)
• Make a switch to bamboo toothbrushes or one with a replaceable head
• Use bar soaps rather than those in plastic bottles (check that this doesn’t contain palm oil, which is an ingredient that contributes to deforestation mainly affecting Orangutans).
• Reusable straws – in the US alone around 500 million plastic straws are used every day, with around 8.3 billion ending up in the ocean each year and killing turtles!
• Using bamboo cotton swabs, a photo of a seahorse holding a cotton swab went viral in 2017, showing just how far a reach our plastic consumption can have.

Here at Naturally Tribal we have chosen to do our bit by using glass jars for all our products. These are recyclable and some of our #Tribers have given these a second life by using them to plant pots (which we love!). Our long-term aim is to have refilling options available to our #Tribers to further the life of our glass jars.

There are steps all of us can take to be more environmentally friendly. A #Triber told us that they loved the fact they could use our products and still go into the ocean without worrying about chemicals washing off and damaging the ecosystem. Next year legislation will come into effect that means the sunscreen we use has to be environmentally friendly, to protect our coral reefs.

Let us know if you are making the commitment to move away from single use plastic and share with someone you think should also make the switch!

A fellow Triber

Hannah x