You may have seen in social media recently about Plastic Free July – it is an annual global movement that encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to reduce their consumption of single-use plastic throughout the month of July. The initiative was founded in 2011 by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and a small group of colleagues in Western Australia as a local campaign to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of plastic pollution. Over the years, Plastic Free July has gained widespread recognition and participation, expanding its reach to over 170 countries worldwide. The movement’s aim is to inspire people to make conscious choices and adopt sustainable habits by refusing single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, bottles, straws, and packaging, in favour of reusable alternatives,.and striving for a world free from the damaging effects of plastic waste.
With this in mind it was my aim from the start of my business to ensure as little plastic waste is generated. Now sadly it’s not possible to eliminate all plastic from the production of my soaps – ingredients bought in bulk do have a smaller amount of plastic per weight though and I will re-use any bags, containers and packaging that may arise from this side of things.
When it comes to wrapping my soaps to ensure they stay fresh, I do have control. I have selected suppliers for their environmental credentials and choose recycled, and recyclable or even better home compostable items. Often packaging marked just “compostable” is only broken down in industrial composting units where higher temperatures can be reached than in normal garden compost bins – however the cellulose wrapping that I use will break down naturally in a normal compost bin. I know because I tried it, of course.
it’s not only the wrapping material that is plastic free – but also the adhesive sticky labels that hold it all together! It’s all important, and all the little efforts add up. Keep up to date with my plastic free month over on my socials – Facebook and Instagram