Plastic Free July sounds like a daunting and even somewhat crazy event to participate in, especially amid a pandemic when many businesses are refusing to allow reusable mugs and bags. 

But advocates and participants say there are good reasons to take part this year in an event that’s aimed at helping people develop greener ways of doing things.

“Just starting them with a month is kind of a good way to build those habits,” said Ira Webb, program co-ordinator for Zero Waste Yukon, “and then hopefully people are carrying these things on throughout the year.”

Despite the name of the global event, participants don’t typically go totally plastic-free — they simply try to reduce their use of single-use plastic.

“It’s near impossible to go plastic-free in this day and age,” Webb said. “And I think you should just be proud of making little changes.”

Easy changes suggested by the Plastic Free Foundation, which started the movement in Australia in 2011, include:

• Eliminating takeaway coffee cups by bringing a reusable cup.
• Bringing your own reusable shopping bags instead of taking a throwaway plastic bag.
• Refusing plastic straws when buying a drink, or bringing your own reusable one.
• Finding plastic-free alternatives when buying fruits and vegetables.

To learn more about Plastic Free July, read the full article at CBC.ca