Join the movement and go plastic free this July with the help of our reusable bottles from Equa!

What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is an award-winning awareness campaign that started in Western Australia in 2011 with the simple idea – to stop using single-use plastic during the month of July. Since then it has grown to a global movement with over 1 million people worldwide taking part last year. The Plastic Free July Movement aims to raise public awareness of the amount of plastic in our lives by encouraging people to eliminate the use of single-use plastic for one month in July each year. It encourages people to move away from using single-use plastic by providing different solutions and alternatives.

The Dangers of Single-use Plastic

The problem with single-use plastic – e.g the plastic that is used to make plastic bags, bottles and takeaway containers etc – is that it is made from a material that is designed to last forever (it’s breaks up not down therefore becoming a permanent pollutant). So although we only use this material for a few minutes it pollutes the earth for years to come – some plastics can take up to 400 years to break down!! (reference)  A lot of this plastic waste ends up in the rivers and ocean, killing as many as 1 million sea creatures every year (reference) and according to scientific predictions by 2050 there will be more tonnes of plastic in the ocean than fish!! (reference: Plastic Free July)

But that doesn’t have to be the case, and you can be part of the solution by reducing your plastic footprint and going plastic free.

An Easy Way to go Plastic Free

An easy and simple way to reduce your single-use plastic consumption is by using a reusable water bottle instead of buying throwaway plastic drinks bottles everyday. Did you know that 36 million plastic bottles are used by UK households everyday, with 15 million not being recycled (reference: Blue and Green Tomorrow)! With single-use drinks bottle forming the most common type of plastic packaging found washed up on the shorelines globally.  We can change this statistic by opting for a stylish reusable bottle instead!

Here at homeArama we are a proud stockist of Equa, a Slovenia based company, who have a wide range of stylish reusable bottles designed for your health and nature’s wealth! Equa have two range of bottles available in their collection: a range of chic glass bottles made from super tough and shatter resistant borosilicate glass, with a sophisticated minimalist design and on-trend patterns and colourways, shop the collection here.

They also have a range of BPA-Free plastic bottles, which are made from high-quality Eastman Tritan, a material that doesn’t contain the harmful Bisphenol A (BPA) compound which is often found in disposable plastic bottles, and that increases the risk of hormonal disorders, allergies and even prostate or breast cancer. Equa’s BPA-Free plastic bottles also come in a range of stylish designs and colourways, you can shop the collection here.

As well as being eco-friendly and BPA free, all of Equa’s reusable bottles are lightweight, 100% leak proof, food safe, easy to carry, dishwasher safe, can be used for both hot and cold drinks and are great for keeping you hydrated on-the-go, at work, in the car or whilst exercising!

Plus if that wasn’t enough they also have a super cute kid’s range of BPA-free plastic reusable bottles, perfect for taking to school, on day trips or out and about when travelling! Click here to shop the range on our webshop.

 

Other easy ways you can bring a plastic free movement into your life:

• Bringing your own reusable cup or thermos on your daily coffee trip instead of using disposable cups with plastic lids – our sleek stainless steel insulated bottles from Glacial are perfect for this. Based in Stockholm, Glacial believe in combining fashion and function, and the end result is these beautiful, Scandi-inspired, minimalist bottles! Made from the highest grade stainless steel with triple-walled thickness, Glacial bottles will keep your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours! The triple-walled insulation system means that you won’t burn your hands on the bottle’s exterior when hot or make your stuff damp with cold condensation on the exterior when cold. Glacial bottles are lightweight, easy to hold thanks to their user-friendly ergonomic grip and feature a leak-proof screw lid, making them perfect for taking on-the-go! Shop the collection.
• Say no to plastic straws – plastic straws are one of the worst offenders of single-plastic waste. So do you bit and go plastic free by saying no or switching to paper straws instead!
• Use reusable bags or boxes for carrying your shopping – one of the easiest ways to reduce your plastic waste and go plastic free is to stop using those thin plastic shopping bags and instead take a reusable bag or box with you to carry your shopping. Our Meori Foldable Boxes are a great alternative as they can hold up up to 65lbs (now that’s a lot of shopping!), fit perfectly in the trolley and their carry handles make it easy to lift them into the boot of the car. Once you have put your shopping away, these stylish boxes fold up flat, making them easy to store. Shop the collection.

 

These are just some of the ways you can reduce your plastic usage, see our previous blog post for more ways to go plastic free! For more information and to join over a million people worldwide in the Plastic Free July Movement, then click here. To find out more about plastic pollution, especially the impact of single use plastic on our oceans, this article by SLO Active is a great read and real eye-opener about the serious dangers of plastic to our environment and the measures we need to take to reduce the problem.

 

Thanks for reading 🙂