Not sure where to start?

If you're not sure where to start, you can take Plastic Free July's Pesky Plastics Quiz to get an idea of where you stand. The quiz will highlight some of the plastic packaged items that you could potentially swap out in favour of more sustainable options. 

If you're participating in Plastic Free July it would be a good idea to take the quiz at the start of the challenge and again at the end so you can see the progress you've made during the month.

Pesky Plastic Quiz by Plastic Free July

Making change can be really hard, especially for those of us who have been brought up in a disposable society. When we stand back and look at the sheer size of the problem it can be very tempting to try and change all of our wasteful habits all at once. While this is a fabulous goal and something that we should all aim for (over time), changing every habit at the same time can be very difficult and there is the risk of becoming completely overwhelmed and feeling like a failure if it doesn't all work out. To avoid this we suggest making one small change and giving yourself time for this change to become a habit before moving onto the next small change. This method has a higher success rate and results in less waste in the long run.

When it comes to avoiding waste, preparation is key. A good way to always be prepared is to stack your new habit on top of an existing habit. For example, washing your water bottle might be an existing habit that you do at the end of every day. A new habit that you stack on top might be to dry it, fill it and put it in your bag ready for the following morning instead of your existing habit of leaving it on the draining board where you might forget it. This small adjustment will result in you never being without your trusty water bottle.

What new habit would you like to start? Or, if you've already made a change, what was the biggest help in making that change stick? Let us know in the comments below, we'd love to hear your thoughts!