While cutting down on single-use plastic items may not have a huge impact on the environment (unless EVERYONE did it), every little step helps and doing something small and simple like reducing plastic use is a close-to-home, easy-to-grasp step that can be a gateway to environmentalism, especially for kids. When they hear about sea animals found with plastic in their guts or trapped in a plastic six-pack ring, or hear about the enormous gyres of plastic swirling in the oceans, they can get quite emotional and passionate.
Plastic Free July is a global initiative intended to draw attention to what individuals can do to cut down on plastic pollution.
“Plastic Free July isn’t just about buying a reusable cup or bag, it’s giving people the tools to change their habits, to pause and think how we as individuals can make an impact for the better and reduce our reliance on plastic,” says Erin Rhoads, author of Waste Not: Making a Big Difference by Throwing Away Less.
You can hold your own event with your family and friends to reduce plastic pollution and they’re offering a lot of information about projects you can do. One thing you can do is book the 2019 film The Story of Plastic to screen for your group. Community organizations and grassroots activists can book a free virtual screening to energize supporters when they learn not just about the mountains of discarded plastic trash everywhere, and the oceans, lakes and rivers filled with plastic debris, but the pollution from the poisonous emissions from plastic production and processing, depicting a catastrophe that’s been unfolding since the 1940s.