Tag: Plastic Free July

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Plastic Free July 2025: Reducing plastics at home, work, and on the go

Plastic Free July is a campaign coordinated by the Plastic Free Foundation to raise awareness of the negative impacts of plastic pollution and to encourage individuals to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics.

You’ve probably seen news coverage of collections of plastic pollution in the oceans or seen photos of wildlife harmed by ingesting or being trapped in discarded plastic packaging. Microplastics have been detected in a variety of human organs, and in virtually every habitat on Earth. We’re only beginning to understand and investigate the potential negative impacts of plastic pollution and exposure on human and environmental health. To learn more about those potential impacts, see the “Impacts on Environmental and Human Health” section (beginning on page 65) in the “Plastics” chapter of the recent ISTC report, “Illinois Materials Management & Recycling Opportunities,” available at https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127016.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Plastic Free July, and the third year we’ve celebrated the campaign by offering tips on the ISTC Blog. In 2023, we focused on atypical examples of single-use plastics, beyond things like plastic water bottles and grocery bags, to foster further reduction among people who have already tackled the “low-hanging fruit.” In 2024, we focused on ways to reduce plastic pollution from your clothing and textiles. This year, we’ll share a few new tips to reduce plastic consumption throughout various aspects of your life—at home, at work, and on the go. Some of these tips apply to businesses as well as individuals. Be sure to check out the previous posts as well for additional tips! These lists are of course not exhaustive but are meant to provide inspiration for change, and perhaps spark conversation and brainstorming.

As always, please remember that ISTC does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, any manufacturer, vendor, product, or service. Information about specific products, manufacturers, or vendors is provided for reference only.

At home

Choose glass, stainless steel, or ceramic storage containers, serving utensils, and cookware, and don’t use plastic containers when heating up food in the microwave. Research has shown that even FDA-approved plastics release microplastics into your food when they’re heated in a microwave. See last month’s blog post on more environmentally friendly gifts for dads and grads for some resources to help choose stainless steel, cast iron, glass, and ceramic cookware.

Replace plastic cutting boards with wood or bamboo. A study by Yadav et al. (2023) identified plastic cutting boards as a substantial source of microplastics in food (citation below under “Learn more”). Alexandra Kelly, writing for Martha Stewart’s website, offers tips for “How to Clean and Care for a Wooden Cutting Board So It Lasts for Years.”

Photo by Studio95 – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Replace plastic dish scrubbers and sponges. Options include compostable Swedish dishcloths made from cellulose and cotton, such as If You Care Sponge Cloths, which are reusable, machine washable, and certified for composting at their end of life in both commercial and home composting systems. Dish scrubber pads made from sisal, coconut coir, or bamboo fibers can also help you reduce plastic. Be careful though—some scrubbing pads made with natural materials such as walnut shells sometimes include recycled plastic from water bottles. Be sure to check the product packaging/description carefully if you want a plastic-free item.

This and the preceding two tips may be useful at work for food service operations like restaurants, cafeterias, or other food-focused businesses.

Opt for wool dryer balls instead of single-use dryer sheets that are typically made from polyester. See “How Long Do Dryer Balls Last? Plus How to Refresh Them” by Mary Marlow Leverette, writing for Real Simple, to ensure your dryer balls last as long as possible–we may be focused on plastic this month, but let’s remember to reduce all waste!

Switch to tablet forms of toothpaste and mouthwash to eliminate plastic tubes and bottles (e.g. these products from Bite) and consider a toothbrush made from bamboo with plant-based bristles (e.g. Brush with Bamboo; note the bristles are not compostable and should be removed if you plan to compost the handle). You can also find plastic-free dental floss, made from natural silk, corn-derived starch, or bamboo. James Miller reviews these floss options in “8 Best Plastic-Free Dental Floss Brands Tested.”

These swaps may also be useful for dentist and orthodontist offices.

Photo by Harry Wedzinga – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Ditch disposable wipes. This one works for office settings too, which may have started keeping these on hand during the pandemic and simply never stopped. Whether you’re talking about disposable sanitizing wipes for surfaces or personal cleansing wipes, these items often include synthetic fibers made from polyester or polypropylene, although cotton, cellulose, or rayon may also be used. See the FDA web page “Disposable Wipes” for more information (and note that different agencies regulate wipes depending on their intended purpose). It can be challenging to determine the fibers used when examining product packaging—for example, the “smart label” information for Chlorox wipes includes the ingredients in the cleaning solution the wipes are impregnated with, but not the ingredients of the wipe itself. Since waste reduction is always a good idea, why not skip the wipes entirely or only use them for really nasty messes when a washable cloth would not be desirable? Even then, using a spray cleaner with paper towels made from recycled paper or bamboo would be more environmentally preferable than a single-use wipe made with plastic. If sanitizing a surface is important, note that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that “In most situations, cleaning alone with soap and water can remove most germs, such as harmful viruses or bacteria, on surfaces.” You could also use a can of spray disinfectant (e.g. Lysol or similar product) with a washable cloth or paper towel.

If you really like the convenience of pre-soaked cloths for quick clean ups, consider making your own. On the Nature’s Nurture blog, Sarah Umm Yusuf describes simple cleaning wipes made with castille soap for everyday cleaning, while Mary Marlowe Leverette, writing for The Spruce, describes homemade disinfectant wipes soaked in alcohol.

At work

Avoid disposable coffee pods in the break room. Again, this tip does double duty, since it applies to home kitchens as well, but many offices, especially in public-facing areas like conference rooms or waiting areas, have gravitated toward Keurig-style machines with pods that allow people to brew a single beverage serving. The mountains of resulting plastic waste have been the subject of more than one Internet meme. Honestly, it wasn’t all that long ago when humans managed just fine with regular coffee pots and pitchers of water or other cold drinks at meetings or in waiting areas. Just because pods exist doesn’t mean you have to offer them, and your business might boost its image with customers or employees, if you post a sign near your “old fashioned” offerings tying your choice to waste reduction.

Photo by Elena Medoks – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

If you feel compelled to give individuals choices, and you’re located in an area where commercial composting is available, consider compostable pods. Check out the Corner Coffee Store post “6 Best Eco-Friendly Coffee Pods in 2025: Reviews & Top Picks” by Melissa Gunter to explore options.

If you’re only providing coffee for a small group of employees (or your family at home) and you still want to use pods to allow individual choice, consider providing reusable coffee pods for your crew. In January 2025, Justin Hughes described the pros and cons of “15 Best Reusable Coffee Pods for a Sustainable Brew – Eco-Friendly Choices for Coffee Lovers” on the Cappucino Oracle website.

Eliminate other single-use plastics in break rooms and at catered events. Another double-duty tip here, since it can apply to parties you host at home. If your office/business has a break room, consider stocking it with bulk condiments in the refrigerator, rather than single-use sachets. If you have a sink or dishwasher, provide reusable mugs, plates, cutlery, etc. for employees to use and wash, or encourage employees to bring their own from home.

When you cater a meeting or event, if you’re handling the catering yourself, check out Beyond Plastic’s guide “How to Host a Plastic Free Event.” If you’re using a catering service, ask them in advance to avoid single-use condiments and avoid plastic straws, cutlery, and single-use packaging–and that you’re willing to find a different caterer that can fulfill this request if they can’t. The more potential customers that show an interest in plastic reduction, the more likely caterers in your area will be to make plastic waste reduction part of the status quo.

Avoid plastic packaging when shipping items and reuse plastic packaging that you receive. Use paper fill and wraps instead of bubble wrap or plastic air cushions whenever possible, and opt for paper padded mailers. Check out EcoEnclose (https://www.ecoenclose.com/) for more sustainable packaging options, including branded items, reusable packaging, and even plastic-like pouches, such as Sway’s seaweed-based polybags.

If your office has a supply area, stash plastic mailers, bubble wrap and other items you receive there for reuse. If you’re in the Chicago-area, check out EcoShip, https://ecoship.org/. They currently don’t have a permanent physical location (and are in search of one), but in the past this organization has accepted donations (temporarily on hold) of gently used shipping materials for redistribution—for free. Obtaining used shipping materials is a boon to small businesses. Currently, EcoShip is fundraising to find a permanent forever home. Follow them on social media to stay informed about their progress and next steps.

On the go

Consider keeping a reusable “to-go” kit in your car or backpack. You may have adopted the habit of keeping reusable shopping bags in the trunk of your car so you’re never without them. Maybe you even carry a reusable mug with you, and if you’re really prepared, you might have reusable cutlery and a reusable straw in your purse or briefcase. To take it to the next level, consider keeping a reusable glass or stainless steel food storage container, in your vehicle or bag so you can avoid polystyrene or plastic containers for any leftovers from your restaurant stop.

Photo by SBM Creatives – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

You can even ask for takeout food to be put into your own container. Did you know that based on IL Public Act 103-0524, as of January 1, 2024, a “restaurant or retailer may fill or refill a consumer-owned container with ready-to-eat or dry bulk foods.” Note the use of the word “may”—restaurants aren’t required to do this, so expect some of them to say no. However, many establishments may not even be aware of this law, and if you inform them, they might be open. You never know until you try. See the Illinois Department of Public Health guidance on this legislation at https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/food-safety/reducing-food-and-packaging-waste/consumer-owned-containers/guidance.html.

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Plastic Free July: Tips for reducing plastic pollution from your clothing and textiles

Plastic Free July 2024

Plastic Free July is an awareness campaign coordinated by the Plastic Free Foundation which began in 2011 and is geared toward encouraging individuals to reduce plastic waste and pollution through small lifestyle changes, especially through the reduction of single-use plastic. To celebrate Plastic Free July in 2023 on this blog, we focused on a few ‘atypical tips’ for reducing plastic pollution by highlighting some common, non-intuitive sources of plastic. This year, we’ll similarly focus on a source of plastic pollution that you may find surprising—clothing and other textiles.

As always, please remember that ISTC does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, any particular manufacturer, vendor, product, or service. Information about specific products, manufacturers or vendors is provided for reference only.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), about 60% of material made into clothing is plastic, including polyester, acrylic, and nylon textiles. Every time we wash these clothes, they shed plastic microfibers, a form of microplastics, which are up to five millimeters in size. Think of emptying the lint trap of your dryer; clothes shed material in the washing machine as well but are released along with the wastewater. While water treatment plants can remove a majority of these fibers from water, plants vary in their removal efficacy and none can remove 100% of these tiny particles. Some make their way into the environment when the treated water is discharged to lakes or rivers, or via the collected sludge (aka “biosolids”) from treatment plants, which is sometimes applied to agricultural fields as fertilizer.

Textiles are also increasingly being treated as disposable goods. “Fast fashion” is defined as “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.” This typically means individual articles of clothing are of low quality and likely to wear out quickly, at which point they’re discarded (too often in landfills) and replaced by new inexpensive, less durable items. According to the Illinois Materials Management Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly (2021), 279,188 tons of clothing were disposed of in Illinois landfills in 2018, along with 235,523 tons of “other textiles.” In that same year, the U.S. EPA reported that nearly 17 million tons of textile waste were generated nationwide, with 11.3 million of those tons going to landfills (3.2 million tons were combusted). The recycling rate for all textiles was 14.7 percent in 2018, with 2.5 million tons recycled. So although clothing and other textiles aren’t “single-use” plastics, they are examples of materials that are not necessarily built to last that contribute to the release of plastics into the environment.

So what can you do to reduce plastic pollution from textiles?

Resist fast fashion and reduce consumption. In general, reduce the amount of clothing you buy. Think about what items you really need and will wear repeatedly, and avoid accumulating more clothes than you can reasonably use. Choose versatile separates that can be paired with multiple other items in your wardrobe to create different outfits. When you must buy something, look for items that are durable and well-made. This will often (but not always!) mean that you’ll invest more money up-front. However, if you need to replace items less frequently, that investment will pay off in the long run. Check out Good on You’s guide to choosing clothes that last, and The Luxe Strategist’s detailed ‘An Actually Practical Guide to Shopping for High-Quality Clothes’.

Second-hand first.  When you do buy clothing, consider used but “new to you” items. Participate in clothing swaps with friends or community members. Shop at thrift stores, consignment shops, or online resellers in search of those interchangeable and durable pieces mentioned above. The Luxe Strategist guide referenced above points out that truly vintage (pre-1970s) clothes are “built like tanks, and the differences between those and lower-quality clothes from today are unmistakable.” Extending the useful lives of textiles that have already been manufactured is important to reduce the demand for new items, keep existing clothing out of landfills, and conserve the embodied resources (e.g. energy, water, labor, etc.) that went into manufacturing those items. Fewer newly produced clothes mean fewer new plastics required to meet consumer demands.

Choose responsibly produced new items, made from non-synthetic fibers whenever possible. This may sound relatively simple, but if you’re concerned about sustainability in general, it’s important to acknowledge that a lot of resources and potentially harmful chemicals go into the production and harvesting of natural, non-synthetic fibers (e.g., cotton, silk, wool, etc.) as well as their processing, dyeing, and distribution. So keeping sourcing and production in mind will always be advisable. If you’re not able to find the particular item you need made from natural fibers, then the next best option would be items resulting from textile-to-textile recycling, as a way to increase demand for responsible management of textiles at the end of their first life. Even better if you find items made from recycled natural fibers! It can feel overwhelming to try to navigate the various factors involved in sustainable production, so check out this recent article from CNN Underscored highlighting 15 sustainable clothing brands, as well as Good On You’s explanation of the relative impacts of various clothing materials, including plant-based, animal-derived, and synthetics. In general, certified B Corporations meet standards for environmental and social impacts, so clothing and textile brands with this certification might be deemed preferable.

Consider your laundry routine and repair your textiles. Fewer chores are a good thing–for you and the environment! One of the simplest steps you can take to reduce plastic pollution is to launder your clothing and textiles less frequently. Fewer trips through the wash cycle mean fewer plastic particles sent down the drain. Plus, you’ll save water and electricity and your clothes won’t wear out as quickly! Unless you’ve sweat profusely, been exposed to harsh elements, or participated in a particularly dirty job like digging or painting, your outer garments might be able to be aired out and worn at least one additional time before getting tossed in the laundry basket. Check out Real Simple’s guide on how frequently to wash various types of clothing. When you do laundry, use cold water unless you have deeply soiled items. Cold water is effective at getting laundry clean, and research has shown that colder wash cycles result in decreased microfiber generation.

Returning to the notion of cleaning your lint trap, air-drying clothes is another option for reducing wear that leads to microfiber shedding.

Mending rips, patching worn spots, replacing buttons, and otherwise altering clothing are great ways to keep your textiles in service for longer, which can reduce the need for new synthetics and keep plastics out of landfills and the environment. If you’re not skilled with a needle, support the local economy by taking your items to a tailoring and alteration shop. If you’re willing to do it yourself but lack experience, an abundance of online guides and videos can help you learn basic techniques. For example, see “Simple Ways To Mend Your Clothing Without A Sewing Machine.”

Trap or filter microfibers released in your washing machine, and consider the washer itself. There are ways to minimize the plastic pollution drained from your washer. First, if you’re in the market for a new washing machine, consider a front-loader. According to Energy Star, not only are these machines more resource efficient, but they’re gentler on clothes, resulting in less microplastic shedding.

Low-tech in-wash plastic pollution reduction options include using a device to collect loose fibers in the wash water, like the Cora Ball, or washing your synthetic fabrics inside garment bags, so you can manually remove collected fibers and put them in the trash. High-tech options include external filters that can be attached to your existing washing machine, or the emerging technology of washing machines with a built-in filter. France became the first country to regulate plastic microfiber pollution from laundry by adopting a law that will require new washers to have microfiber filters by 2025, so such machines will hopefully become increasingly commonplace.

When they can no longer be used, recycle your textiles. When your clothing and other textiles are no longer useful, don’t send them to the landfill! Check with your local government for area textile recycling options or consult the Illinois Recycling Foundation directory. If options aren’t available in your area, consider a mail-in take-back program.

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Celebrate Plastic-Free July: Atypical tips to reduce your use of single-use plastics

Plastic Free July Badge

In a 2017 article in the journal Science Advances, researchers Roland Geyer, Jenna R. Jambeck, and Kara Lavender Law estimated that as of 2015 “approximately 6300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050.” With microplastics having been detected in virtually every habitat on Earth, including the ocean floor, and in a variety of organisms, including humans, it’s easy to understand why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, as described in a previous post (Note: The deadline for the public comment period has been extended to July 31, 2023, so don’t miss out on the chance to read the strategy and provide feedback). It’s also easy to understand why delegates from nearly 180 countries came together in Paris recently, to discuss what would be the first legally binding global treaty to reduce plastic pollution. The first draft of that treaty is scheduled to be developed by November 2023, with a goal of having a final agreement in force by 2025.

For a dozen years now, people have taken time in July to consider ways they might help stem the tide of plastic pollution. Plastic Free July is an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation which began in 2011 and has grown into a global movement to reduce single-use plastic consumption and pollution. You can sign up to take the Plastic Free July Challenge, and receive weekly emails in July to inspire and motivate your plastic reduction efforts. To help get you started the Plastic Free July website offers tips on ways to reduce single-use plastic. You can probably guess some of the tips which have become common mantras among those interested in waste reduction, such as using a refillable mug instead of accepting single-use coffee cups or bringing reusable bags when you go grocery shopping instead of packing your items home in plastic carrier bags. But the tips below might surprise you and inspire you to think about just how ubiquitous single-use plastic has become.

Note: ISTC does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, any particular manufacturer, vendor, product, or service. Information about specific products, manufacturers or vendors is provided for reference only.

  • Chew less gum and/or opt for plastic-free alternatives. It may surprise you to know that chewing gum, based on the indigenous tradition of chewing natural rubber called chicle, involves single-use plastic in its actual substance and not just in its packaging. According to the website Plastic Free Shopper, “Most modern chewing gums have what’s known as a gum base which makes up the majority of the chewing gum. This synthetic rubbery substance is commonly made from ingredients including: Butadiene-styrene rubber Isobutylene-isoprene copolymer (butyl rubber); Paraffin (via the Fischer-Tropsch process); Petroleum wax; Polyethylene; Polyisobutylene; Polyvinyl acetate. This synthetic plastic/rubber gum base is mixed with sweeteners and flavourings to make up regular chewing gum as we know it. Ingredients such as Polyethylene and Polyvinyl acetate are both common forms of plastic. Polyethylene is found in items such as plastic bottles and food containers, and Polyvinyl acetate is used in glues and adhesives.” So, when people spit their gum out on the sidewalk, they’re not just littering and setting the innocent up for sticky shoes–they’re also contributing to plastic pollution. If you enjoy chewing gum, a simple way to reduce your single-use plastic consumption is to opt for brands made with natural chicle, such as Simply Gum or Glee, among others.
  • Take plastic out of your water filtration equation. If you’re avoiding water in disposable plastic bottles, odds are you might be using a reusable bottle or pitcher with a filter. However, the more popular units for this purpose still incorporate plastic in the filters. In October 2022, editors of The Good Trade shared their top five plastic-free water filtration options. It should be noted that most of these are pretty pricey and the filter cartridges for the plastic-free vessels still tend to incorporate some small amount of plastic. But the Kishu charcoal stick option is quite affordable, completely plastic-free, and after its days as a water filter are over, the sticks can be composted, put out in your garden, or reused to absorb odors in your refrigerator.
  • Quit smoking—or encourage a friend or family member to do so if you’re a non-smoker. There are obvious health-related reasons to do this, but did you know that cigarette butts are the most common form of plastic pollution? A 2019 review article in Environmental Research explained that “Cigarette butts (CB) are the most frequent form of personal item found on beaches. Yearly, 6 trillion cigarettes are smoked worldwide, and 4.5 trillion cigarettes are littered in the environment.” Once they have become litter, cigarette butts degrade into microplastics. E-cigarettes and plastic vape cartridges also contribute to the plastic pollution problem, as well as contributing to the burgeoning tide of e-waste (that’s another post for another day). Learn more at “Plastics, the Environment, and the Tobacco Industry,” an online resource from the University of Bath.
  • Dispose of pet poo without plastics. If you have a dog, or a cat whose litter box needs to be scooped, disposable plastic bags are probably a commonly used tool. It’s definitely important to pick up your dog’s poo during a walk (see this article from The Guardian and this page from the Dooloop website for more on the environmental impacts of your best friend’s excrement), but there are ways to take care of this business with less petroleum-based plastic. The Dog People list their choices for plant-based pet waste bags that are “compostable under the right conditions.” If you have a yard with available space, you might also consider a separate compost pile or bin for pet waste (avoid using this compost on your fruit or vegetable garden to prevent the spread of parasites, but feel free to fertilize your flowers and other ornamental plants). Doogie Dooley offers in-ground digester systems for breaking down dog waste (they’re not compatible with cat waste, sadly), and though all incorporate plastic lids, there is a model with a steel tank. I Love a Clean San Diego also highlights some pooper scoopers and disposal tips that allow you to pick up waste without using a dedicated plastic bag.
  • Reduce your use of laser printers and copiers when possible. We all know that printer ink and toner cartridges contribute to the plastic waste stream, so many of us recycle our spent cartridges and purchase remanufactured ones to reduce consumption of virgin plastics. But did you ever stop to think about what laser printer and copier toner is made of? Spoiler alert—toner is mostly made of plastic. We’ve all seen reminders to print documents or emails only when necessary to save paper, but it turns out, this is a good tip to avoid plastic consumption too. If you’ve ever added shredded office paper or junk mail printed on non-slick paper to your compost bin, you might reconsider and put those in the paper recycling bin instead. Toner starts out as a collection of microplastics, so when that printed paper breaks down in a compost pile, you might be inadvertently releasing those into your environment. This Federal Electronics Challenge resource from the US EPA includes tips for reducing paper and ink usage. See this post from CDW on the differences between ink and toner, and you might also consider bio-based toner options available in your country. Some of these reduce the amount of petroleum-based plastic involved by using powder made from soybean oil. Some bio-based toners also use a percentage of bio-plastics for the cartridges themselves, such as https://pelikan-printing.com/biobased and https://www.union-tec.com/print-rite-bio-based-toner-cartridges/.

This post is already quite long, so we’ll stop at five tips, but there are many more ways to reduce single-use plastics. What are your favorites? Share your thoughts on social media.