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Plastic-Free July 2020: SVZ Team Reflections

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By: Annemarie Cutruzzola

One month ago, the SVZ team decided to participate in Plastic-Free July (external link) , an annual global movement that encourages participants to learn about the plastic waste problem and cut down on their use of single-use plastics. Along with the several sustainability-focused ventures we incubate, the SVZ believes that environmental change is an important form of social impact. So, our 4-person team signed up for a Toronto Metropolitan-wide edition of Plastic-Free July, hosted by The Toronto Metropolitan Sustainability Office. We participated in challenges each week designed to help us reduce our consumption of single-use plastics, and we documented our progress along the way!

Week 1

Right away, we noticed had already been doing many of the challenges that were listed. Some single-use plastic alternatives, like tote bags and reusable water bottles, are now quite common- and their plastic counterparts are becoming taboo! So, we started out strong by continuing plastic-free actions we were already doing and introducing some new habits, whether that was in personal hygiene or food preparation. But it wasn’t easy, but our efforts paid off. By the end of the week our team agreed on two things- going plastic-free is definitely a challenge, and plastic is everywhere! Many things we do every day rely on the use of plastics, and avoiding them usually means going well out of your way.

Two bamboo toothbrushes

Use toothbrushes made from bamboo instead of single-use plastic that will eventually be discarded. 

A Zone Learning tote bag and a reusable water bottle.

Resuable bags and bottles can replace the plastic versions that end up in landfills. 

A glass mason jar holding various metal straws.

Plastic straws are notorious for their wastefulness- use metal instead!

Week 2

As we continued the challenge, we also noticed that some activities were made even more difficult with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Sustainable activities we had gotten used to before COVID-19 hit, like bringing reusable bags to grocery stores or using our own mugs at a cafe, were no longer possible. However, the pandemic created other opportunities for reducing plastic waste. We could choose reusable fabric face masks when possible, and avoid littering disposable PPE. Staying home more means making more homemade meals, and carefully choosing where we shop online to support ethical businesses that don’t use wasteful plastic packaging.

Several homemade fabric face masks

Face masks made from fabric are functional and resusable.

"One of the most difficult situations was getting take out; my family wanted to support our favourite local restaurants and due to COVID-19, no one was accepting our own take out containers. Even when we ate in at restaurants, some of the sauces would be in individual plastic to avoid multiple people touching the bottles."

Sarah Brigel, SVZ Operations Coordinator

Week 3

A few weeks into the challenge, it was difficult to keep up the momentum. But the goal of Plastic Free July isn’t perfection. It is nearly impossible to avoid all plastic, but we can simply to try our best to reduce the amount we use. Finding alternatives for single-use plastics is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to reduce your plastic waste use. So we went back to the basics: finding alternatives for plastic straws, bags, bottles, coffee cups, and food packaging.

Week 4

As we continued to follow the weekly challenges set up by The Toronto Metropolitan Sustainability Office, we noticed that alongside the challenges to reduce plastic use, there was also a focus on education and community outreach. Learning more about the plastic waste problem, how big it is, and how it started helps give meaning to all of these activities we’ve been doing. There are plenty of super informative resources out there- especially articles to documentaries. Once you’re informed about the issues, advocating to local governments and businesses about how they can implement more sustainable practices on a larger level. During July, the SVZ shared information about Plastic Free July and our ongoing participation in the challenge on our social media channels as well as sharing with our personal networks. We hope that sharing our actions helped inform or inspire others to look into reducing their plastic use!

Week 5

For the final week of the challenge, our goal was to reflect on how Plastic-Free July went for us, what we observed and realized about our use of plastics, and what we will take with us from this experience going forward. Here's what our team had to say:

“As Plastic-Free July wraps up, we’re proud of the performance of the SVZ team. It’s frustrating to see how much plastic we still use in society and Plastic-Free July is a good reminder of that. Now when we see someone use single use plastic, we’ll think "that’s the last straw!" By monitoring our plastic consumption for the past month, I’m sure it will change our behaviour going forward. There will be a lot of leftover habits that will reduce our waste.”

Alex Gill, SVZ Director

Tomatoes and red lettuce from Alex's garden–no plastic packaging needed!

Some pictures from Sarah's herb garden – also no plastic to see here.

"I already try to live a plastic conscious life and this month tuned me into the smaller items, and items out of my control. It was really hard to shop plastic-free. I was able to get some fruits and vegetables at the local farmers market plastic-free but it was much less convenient. I also realized that many of my hobbies come with plastic waste – shooting film, playing tennis, painting. It was impossible to avoid plastic packaging when purchasing these things but my plan is to repurpose what I can."

Sarah Brigel, SVZ Operations Coordinator

"This challenge made me understand how small steps can truly pave the way for deeper change. I was able to transform the things I used to do every now and then into habits – like using fabric/reusable bags instead of plastic when out shopping. This month also gave me a glimpse into a more minimalist lifestyle, which I never thought I could do. I now think twice and three times before deciding to buy new things, analyzing whether or not the waste would be worth it. I think to me that’s a huge success!"

Dania Faidi, SVZ Community Engagement Coordinator

Dania started growing green onions to decrease her plastic packaging waste – look how tall they got!    

Some plastic-friendly cosmetic changes Annemarie made: switching to bar soap and using homemade exfoliator.

"Taking part in the Plastic-Free July challenge was a real eye opener for me! Reading articles and watching documentaries throughout the month helped me truly understand the magnitude and urgency of the issue. Having the challenge in the back of my mind made me notice single-use plastics everywhere- from takeout food to wasteful packaging from online orders to my favourite cosmetic products. I think the biggest impact for me was a change in mindset. After this experience I’ll definitely be more mindful of the products I’m buying and how much I’m contributing to our plastic waste problem."

Annemarie Cutruzzola, SVZ Marketing Assistant