Raising awareness of ways to reduce single-use plastic products

Please join the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club in the global effort for a Plastic Free July. The goal is to raise awareness of ways to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic products. The initiative, sponsored by www.plasticfreejuly.org, does not condemn all plastic uses, but suggests reasonable substitutes and promotes habits to reduce unnecessary plastic use and the resulting impacts it has on our planet.

CHECK YOUR PLASTIC-FREE HABITS:

For each of the consumer choices below, do you do these things now, OR (if not), how likely are you to start doing them over the next six months?

A) Avoid buying bottled water (e.g. by taking a reusable bottle of tap water)

B) Reduce the pop bottles used (e.g. consume less or make your own ‘soda’)

C) Avoid pre-packed fruit and vegetables

D) Avoid pre-packed meat or fish.

E) Refuse straws with takeaway drinks

F) Buy food from bulk stores (rather than packaged)

G) Source detergents from bulk barrels or use strips (versus bottles).

H) Look for personal care products that don’t contain plastic microbeads

I) Choose waxed paperboard cartons or glass versus plastic bottles of milk and juice

For each of these lifestyle choices below, do you do these things now, OR (if not), how likely are you to start doing them over the next six months?

A) Take my own reusable shopping bags.

B) Shop at farmers markets or small independent stores to avoid packaging

C) Take a reusable cup for takeaway coffee.

D) Keep leftovers in containers/other reusables to avoid plastic wrap

E) Prepare lunchboxes without plastic wrap

F) Avoid lining bins with plastic bags

G) Pick up litter in public places

H) Use biodegradable bags for pet droppings

Adapted from Pesky Plastics Quiz at www.plasticfreejuly.org

courtesy of Plastic Free July™