Skip to content Skip to navigation
We're still delivering! Check out our bank holiday weekend schedule.

Plastic Free July: Let's Turn The Tide on Plastic Packaging

Find out more about the challenge and how we’re rejecting pointless plastic in favour of more planet-friendly solutions

What is Plastic Free July 2023?

It’s the global challenge to turn the tide on plastic pollution by shunning plastic for a whole month. You may have seen people embracing Plastic Free July in a big way over the years. It’s partly to thank for so many of those famous summer beach clean-ups, office ‘bin audits,’ and volunteers litter-picking in parks followed by plastic-free picnics in their newly green surroundings.

 

What Good Does Plastic Free Packaging Do?

This campaign’s impact is massive. Of the estimated 140 million people believed to have taken part in Plastic Free July last year, 86% were inspired to continue their newfound planet-friendly habits far beyond the month of July. It’s believed that the movement is to thank for a 2.3% reduction in global demand for all bottled water, 3.1% of all fruit and veg packaging, and 4% of all plastic straws.* The Plastic Free Foundation (who run the campaign) estimates that it now stops around 300 million kilograms of plastic polluting the world each year.**

 

How To Get Involved? Plastic Free Packaging Ideas

Social media is awash with top tips on how to avoid those pesky polymers (look out for the @plasticfreejuly tag). Here are some of the most popular bits of advice you might see:

  • Bring your own reusable cups, water bottles and straws wherever you go. More and more cafes are happy to support the movement.
  • Avoid your favourite soft drinks, the biggest culprits of single use plastic. We disagree! We’ve got an ever expanding range of glass-bottled drinks (many refillable) to satisfy your sweet tooth without costing the planet. We even got Coca-Cola on board our Refill Revolution!
  • They say the same about bottled water, but if you can’t resist the spell of the Springs, or love adding a little sparkle to your squash, we can offer you Belu and Wenlock Spring in glass bottles which we’ll drop off at your doorstep and collect to refill.
  • Bring your own bags when out shopping.
  • Pack your own lunch instead of relying on the supermarket’s plastic-packaged meal deals.
  • Cut out the crisps – the packaging is too tricky to recycle, and you never know where it’ll end up. No need! Thanks to the innovators behind Two Farmers, we can bring your favourite snacks straight to your doorstep in fully compostable packaging. They’re so moreish, we’re pretty sure you’ll continue snacking on them way beyond July!

 

What We’re Doing

This July, we’re shining a light on some of our wonderful suppliers who commit to Plastic Free July, not only making incredible products, but helping our customers cut down on troublesome packaging so you can shop ‘til you drop with a clean conscience.

If you’re taking the challenge, you might find that home essentials like shampoo and soap are the hardest things to find without plastic. Luckily for you, we’ll deliver these and so much to your doorstep in refillable glass bottles thanks to our partnership with Fill. The only plastic is the reusable pump. Shop our home care and personal care range for must-haves like toilet paper and kitchen roll that are free of plastic, too.

If you thought baked goods needed plastic in order to remain fresh, think again. The Artisan Bakery went against the grain when they created a special compostable wrap to package their bread and pastries while keeping them fresh as can be.

Some of the trickiest items to buy without single-use plastic packaging are pantry staples like pasta and sugar. Thanks to Good Club, whose essentials arrive in safely sealed refillable tubs, we’re able to help our shoppers rid their bins of that pointless plastic altogether.

We’re so happy to help many of our suppliers close the loop on plastic packaging and make their products refillable, and we’re sure our Refill Shop and plastic-free range will continue to grow. It’s definitely the place to start some simple swaps and discover some life-changing shopping solutions.

Be part of the movement and let us know what swaps you’re making, remember to tag @plasticfreejuly and @freshmilkandmore. You might inspire a whole wave of people to follow your green lead!

*https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/about-us

**https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/campaigns/small-steps-big-difference/