Friday 26th June 2026

Every July, Plastic‑Free July invites people across the globe to rethink everyday habits and say no to single‑use plastic. What started with just 40 people in Australia has now grown into the world’s largest plastic‑avoidance movement, with 174 million people across 190 countries taking part in 2025.

• The world produces over 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, and only around 9% is recycled globally
• An estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, harming marine life and ecosystems
• In the UK alone, households throw away around 90 billion pieces of plastic packaging every year

The challenge isn’t about being perfect—it’s about making small, consistent changes that add up over time. In fact, Plastic Free July reports that 87% of participants make at least one long‑lasting behaviour change.

“Plastic Free July has the power to create a widespread cultural shift—turning off the tap of plastic waste one choice at a time.”

– Rebecca Prince‑Ruiz, founder of Plastic-Free July

So, how can I make a difference? Here are some practical and achievable ways to ditch those single-use plastics this July!

What Can You Do?

1. Switch to a Refillable Water Bottle 🚰

Globally, around 500 billion plastic bottles are used each year, and 91% are not recycled. Many end up in landfill, incinerators, or the environment. Using a refillable bottle can eliminate hundreds of disposable bottles per person each year.

What can you do?
👉 Choose a reusable bottle you love and commit to zero bottled water this July.

2. Pack a Plastic‑Free Lunch 🍜

Snack packaging and food wrappers are among the most common single‑use plastic items in UK household waste.

Simple swaps including using reusable lunch boxes or containers, reusable cutlery and napkins.

Did you know? Cooking and packing food at home reduces plastic waste and cuts food costs.

What can you do?
👉 Pick one regular meal this week and make it completely plastic‑free, by using an alternative to food wrapping such as beeswax wraps

3. Embrace the Soap Bar and ditch Disposable Toiletries 🧼

Bathrooms are a hotspot for single‑use plastic: toothbrushes, razors, cotton pads, and travel minis all add up quickly. Including liquid soaps, shampoos, and shower gels are typically packaged in plastic, and many are not recycled. Solid soap and shampoo bars often come in recyclable cardboard and last longer.

Make simple swaps to bamboo toothbrushes, refillable deodorants, reusable cotton pads etc.

“The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn’t buy.” — Joshua Becker

What can you do?
👉 When your next toiletry runs out, replace it with a plastic‑free alternative—no need to throw anything away early.

4. Use Reusable Bags and Straws 🛍️

Globally, people still use around 5 trillion plastic bags every year. While bags and straws may seem small, they’re some of the most common items found during beach clean‑ups.

The good news: the UK carrier bag charge reduced supermarket bag use by 97%—proof that behaviour change works.

What can you do?
👉 Keep reusable options easily available, such as by the door or in your bag so saying “no” becomes automatic.

5. Cut Back on Convenience Foods 🍔

Convenience foods often come with multiple layers of plastic packaging, contributing to the UK’s massive household plastic waste problem.

Choosing fresh, loose produce or cooking simple meals helps reduce plastic at the source.

What can you do?
👉 Try one plastic‑light grocery shop this week—buy loose where you can and skip unnecessary packaging.

6. Reduce Microplastics (The Plastic You Can’t See) 👖

Microplastics are now found in human blood, lungs, and even brains. Shockingly, humans are estimated to ingest around 5 grams of microplastics per week—roughly the weight of a credit card.

Around 35% of primary microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic clothing fibres shed during washing.

You can reduce microplastic pollution by:

• Choosing natural fibres like cotton, linen, and wool
• Washing clothes less often and at lower temperatures
• Avoiding cosmetics with plastic microbeads

What can you do?
👉 Check the labels on your next clothing or skincare purchase—small choices matter.

What Safelincs Are Doing

Working towards a greener future by focussing on a number of ongoing projects aimed to make our business environmentally friendly.

🔌100% Renewable Electricity

• 1000sqm Solar PV installation producing 60% of our energy
• Majority of our company vehicles are electric models

📦Recycled Packaging

• Eliminated 95% of plastic from our parcels
• Reusing cardboard which come in from our suppliers
• Padding material created from shredding old cardboard boxes
• Working with our suppliers to reduce plastic waste

🪫WEEE Distributor Take-Back Scheme

• We are part of the Valpak Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Distributor Take-Back Scheme

🌳Tree Planting

• Improving our own biodiversity around our headquarters by planting more trees and wildflowers

♻️Battery Recycling

• We use rechargeable batteries where possible, and recycle the old non-rechargeable ones

Progress Over Perfection

Plastic‑Free July isn’t about guilt or giving up everything at once. It’s about awareness, experimentation, and connection. Over the past seven years, participants have collectively avoided 15 million tonnes of waste—proof that individual choices do add up.

But the solution starts close to home, participants reduce their household waste by an average of 13kg per person during the challenge.

The most powerful step? Starting. So, what will you refuse this Plastic‑Free July?