Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy Generator
Logo shows a brightly coloured turtle next to the words Plastic Free July

Residents are urged to ditch the plastic with a series of helpful tips as part of Warwickshire County Council’s support for the Plastic Free July campaign.

Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that aims to have a world that is free from harmful plastic waste.

Plastic pollution is a real problem that affects our environment, our health and wellbeing and contributes to carbon emissions:

  1. Only 9% of all plastic produced is recycled;
  2. Over 2 million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide and the average time that a plastic bag is used in its lifetime before being discarded is 12 minutes;
  3. One million plastic bottles are bought every minute worldwide;
  4. 32% of all plastic packaging produced finds its way to our oceans every year;
  5. 73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic;
  6. Based on current rates of plastic entering waterways, by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean which means all life depending upon the oceans will be consuming plastics; and
  7. The average person, that means YOU, eats 70,000 microplastics each year!

Given the scale of the problem, Warwickshire County Council is supporting this worthwhile campaign by sharing one tip to help residents reduce their plastic use for each of the 31 days of the month across its social media channels and website.

Some ideas that Warwickshire County Council will be sharing include:

  • Tip 1: Ditch pre-packaged fresh produce and choose loose fruit and vegetables instead
  • Tip 2: Remember to take a reusable coffee cup when out and about
  • Tip 3: Switch to loose-leaf tea or a tea-bag brand that doesn’t contain plastic
  • Tip 4: Say no thank you to cheap plastic giveaways
  • Tip 5: Switch to bars of soap and shampoo that last longer than bottles
  • Tip 6: Take a reusable water bottle out with you and use the Refill app to find places to top-up
  • Tip 7: Use local zero-waste shops to stock up on cupboard staples – less packaging and less plastic.

For more tips throughout July, follow the Warwickshire County Council accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

If residents have their own tips to share, Warwickshire County Council is keen to hear them. Share your ideas using the Hashtag #PlasticFreeWarks

Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Environment, Heritage and Culture, said: “The sheer scale of our planet’s plastic problem is staggering and complicated. When faced with such large numbers it’s easy to just assume that you won’t be able to make a difference through your own actions, but this could not be further from the truth.

“As with the so many elements of the climate and environmental emergency that currently faces ourworld, there is a lot of little things that individuals can do to make a big difference. I would urge anyone who is able to try some of our tips for reducing plastic use this July and together we can continue to strive for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”

Find out more about plastic-free July 2022 on the Plastic Free Foundation website: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/

Published: 1st July 2022

Update cookies preferences