July 05, 2022

Plastic Free July

Did you know that Canada will ban the manufacture and import of single-use plastics by the end of 2022? The ban applies, among other things, to disposable cutlery, straws and crockery for the catering industry.

Let's all be a little Canada this month!

Plastic Free July - What is it?

It's a global initiative urging people to stop single-use plastic. It was started in Western Australia by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and a small team in local government. Today it is one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world and an issue close to our hearts.

We created Minimals and joined the sustainable movement to give you a way to reduce plastic waste in the bathroom.

The idea of Plastic Free July is to avoid disposable items as much as possible. We've put together 5 simple tips to help you:

1) Bring your own coffee mug and lunch container

A simple one to start with: around 99% of disposable cups are lined with plastic. By the way: Even "compostable" cups are rarely composted, as this requires very special facilities and conditions.

If you order food to-go, you can also bring your own lunch box. Many restaurants like to serve in to-go containers!

2) New toothbrush?

Choose one made from compostable materials, such as bamboo, or one with a replaceable brush head.

3) Dispose of leftovers properly

Food waste wrapped in a plastic bag that ends up in a landfill emits methane into the atmosphere. Also, plastic waste containing leftover food cannot be recycled. So either put the leftovers in a glass and keep them for later (ok - reusable plastic containers work too ;) or dispose of them in the compost or organic waste bin.

4) Reconsider fast food

Disposable straws, plastic packaging and cups - unfortunately, all of this is usually part of fast food. Plastic straws make the top 10 list of items collected during beach clean-ups. This is devastating because they have so little use but stay in the landfill forever. It's best to do without disposable plastic straws next time!

5) Refill, refill, refill

Last but not least ;-) Refill your water bottle instead of buying a new one!

And you have us for refilling your cosmetic bottle! You can have them refilled in our Refill Studio or with the minimals mobile station right at your front door or office! You can find more details here .

If you want to delve deeper into the topic, you can find a lot of information on the Plastic Free Foundation website! There you can participate in the Plastic Free July Challenge and receive weekly updates and tips to help you stay motivated throughout July!

Here you can download posters and artworks if you want to introduce your kids to the topic!

Join millions of people around the world and stop single-use plastic! By participating in the campaign, we can start the beginning of the end of plastic pollution and ensure cleaner streets, seas and communities!