Have you ever stopped to think how much plastic you use in a day?
Every July, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) sets its annual Plastic Challenge – a campaign that challenges people to do exactly that: take stock of how much plastic they consume and try and reduce it.
But while the Plastic Challenge runs for just a month, there's no reason why we can't all try to reduce our plastic waste all year round, whether we’re at home or on holiday.
MCS has found that there are around 143 plastic pieces on every 100 metres of coastline across the UK. If we all try to reduce our plastic, we can directly help the ocean environment by preventing harmful waste from ending up on our shores.
If you’re wondering how to reduce your plastic use, we’ve put together some handy tips, tricks and activities so you can get started on your plastic-free journey and protect our coastlines at the same time.
Whether you’re looking for an eye-opening documentary to watch, an inspiring interview with plastic-free activists to read, or a motivating activity to try, here are our ideas for reducing your plastic waste.
Something for you to do
We are working together with the Marine Conservation Society to challenge everyone to make small, everyday changes that will add up to one big difference when it comes to protecting our marine landscapes from plastic pollution.
Take part in our fun plastic-free bingo challenge to see how many little steps you can take to reduce your plastic waste. From easy swaps like using reusable products instead of disposable ones, to hands-on challenges like making your own cleaning products, our bingo game has lots of little plastic-free wins for you to try. Why not set yourself a timeframe, or see how many you can tick off on your next cottage holiday?
Something for you to watch
This 20-minute short film looks at the relationship between our patterns of consumption and a wide range of environmental issues.
A documentary following a musician, a biologist and a lawyer who fight plastic pollution in Indonesia.
A short documentary, part of Sky News’ Ocean Rescue campaign, shows how no beach or shoreline is unaffected by plastic pollution.
David Attenborough voices this series about the underwater world which, for many, was the catalyst for their plastic-free lifestyle.
Something for you to read
Get inspired by these people who have completely committed to a plastic-free life.
Find out just how easy it is to reduce your plastic waste by making a few small changes to your everyday routine.
Get some easy ideas for reducing plastic waste in every area of your home.
Going plastic-free doesn’t have to be expensive – find out how you can save the planet and some money too.
Best plastic-free organisations and businesses to support
You can also take part in the Plastic Challenge this July by supporting these fantastic plastic-free organisations and charities.
As well as reducing your plastic waste, you can support this charity by volunteering your time, taking part in its other campaigns and challenges, raising funds or buying something from its shop.
This environmental charity gives the ocean a voice; you can support it by signing petitions, joining in a beach clean, volunteering, fundraising or visiting its online shop.
Cleaning up the planet 2 minutes at a time, this charity is also committed to reducing plastic waste. You can join in with its #2minute campaigns wherever you are in the UK, by taking part in a 2-minute beach clean, donating money or buying something from their online shop.
Across the UK, there are a wide range of local community groups working tirelessly to make a difference in their area, from organising beach cleans to lobbying councils and the government for change.
At holidaycottages.co.uk, we support Plastic Free North Devon, a group doing amazing things local to our head office in North Devon. Find one local to you and see how you can get involved – and if there isn’t one, why not consider setting one up?
Take part in the Plastic Challenge
We really hope you’ve been inspired to take steps to reduce your plastic waste, to help continue the momentum of the plastic challenge.
Get to know what you're protecting by exploring our fantastic landscape; plan a stay in one of our holiday cottages in the UK.
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