Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste!

Plastic Free July is a campaign led by the Plastic Free Foundation. Each year, millions of people around the globe take the challenge and choose to refuse single-use plastics. Their vision is to see a world without plastic waste. In July 2018 alone, 120 million people across the globe took part in the challenge across 177 countries.

Whether you want to reduce your consumption at work or at home, whether you already are aware of things you can do to cut back on plastic use - or need fresh ideas - Plastic Free July and the Green Education Foundation have many creative options.

We suggest taking actions like buying bulk and placing items in reusable containers (have cashier weigh your container empty first), bring your own bags for produce and groceries, use metal straws, and bamboo toothbrushes. Stop buying bottled water. Use thermoses with filters instead. Ditch Ziploc bags and use glass containers or beeswax wraps for lunches and make a big difference!

Reducing plastic consumption is not someone else’s job. Even though big companies create the majority of packaging waste, we can remind them of their responsibility. There are many things that companies can do to reduce plastic waste. Consumers like you and I asked Trader Joe’s to reduce single use plastics and they agreed! Anyone can start a petition and make a difference.

Little changes add up.There are 7 billion people living in the world and the average person uses 3 toothbrushes a year. That’s an estimated 28,000,000,000 (that’s 28 TRILLION) toothbrushes that are tossed each year. They are all ending up in our oceans and landfills creating harm for the next 400+ years - which is how long it takes a plastic toothbrush to decompose. According to the folks at Treebird (eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush manufacturer) that means that every toothbrush ever sold since they were invented in 1938 is still in existence - and it will be more than 100 years before the first toothbrushes begin to decompose. Never doubt that small changes can make a big difference.

MAA encourages you to check out the links above and find ways for you and your family to begin to limit your plastic use. Then we ask you - we challenge you - to commit to these changes not just in July, but all year long. Let’s all make every month plastic free.

Have a wonderful summer and Happy Independence Day! We thank you for your continued partnership to be Independent from toxins!

Zen Honeycutt and the MAA Team