It is that time of year again – Plastic Free July!  In case you missed our previous blog posts on this topic, you can see them here!

We recognize that trying to reduce our plastic consumption during this period in history is tough – Americans are producing 30% more trash this year than the same period last year, and it seems like everything at the grocery store is wrapped in additional layers of plastic.  There is growing concern that the increase in plastic consumption is translating to a rise in plastic litter, particularly in single use masks and gloves being discarded in parking lots.  This leads to the question:

What can be done about the litter?

If you are interested in picking up litter along a stream bank, road, or around your neighborhood, there are some precautions you need to take to be sure that litter is the only thing you are picking up.

1)            Practice social distancing. If you are participating in a clean-up effort with people outside of your immediate family bubble, than be sure to remain at least six feet apart. If you are going to be in an area that has potential hazards, like along a waterway, be sure that you do go with a partner and stay safe six feet apart!

2)            Wear bright colors. Florescent colors and reflectors will help people to see you doing the important work of cleaning up litter, especially near high risk areas like roads. If you have extra gloves, you can invite them to join you in your efforts!

3)            Wear a mask. If you are in an area where other people might be around, please wear a mask.

4)            Wear gloves.  You should always wear gloves when picking up litter!  A pair of disposable nitrile gloves ensures that anything that is transferred from the litter does not collect on your skin. Be sure to practice good glove etiquette and DO NOT TOUCH your face, clothes, exposed skin or water bottle with gloves that have been in contact with unknown litter (here is guide for teaching good glove technique!). It is very important that your gloves are non-permeable and disposable – unfortunately it means generating some waste in order to help reduce waste in our environment.  Your personal safety is the most important thing!

5)            Use trash pickers. If you have access to an extended grabber/reaching tool (like this one), you can use this to pick up garbage and reduce the contact with the potentially contaminated trash. We purchased the grabbers that we are using at the Trust from the Dollar store.  Be sure to sanitize your grabber after using it with hot soapy water or Clorox wipes.

6)            Keep an eye on your surroundings. While you are out cleaning up litter, stay alert and pay attention to your surroundings. This will keep you safe and you may notice beautiful details in your environment, like chicory or other native flowering plants.

7)            Wash your hands. As soon as your gloves come off and are properly disposed of in your garbage bag, use hand sanitizer or wash your hands in hot, soapy water.

8)            Properly dispose of your collected litter. Check with your local municipality’s recycling and hazardous waste ordinances.

9)            Celebrate your efforts! Every clean-up effort should be celebrated with pictures, a hearty snack and a delicious cold drink to rehydrate after working hard in the July weather!

As always, when you are in the outdoors, remember to check the weather for any rain or excessive heat warning and plan accordingly (you might want to plan on going out in the cooler mornings or evenings), be mindful of boundaries and do not trespass, and drink plenty of water!

Have you picked up garbage during the pandemic? Send your pictures and tips to land@wctrust.org.

Welcome to another year of Plastic Free July! To say that this year is a little unusual would be an understatement, but even with all of the world events taking place, single use plastic remains a major threat to the health of our world.  Even though things are a little different than last year, there are still a number of ways that we can work to reduce our single use plastic consumption!

A good first step is to pick something small to focus on – trying to solve the world’s plastic crisis all at once will feel overwhelming so try to identify single use items that you can replace with reusable options. 

For example, switching single use surgical masks for fabric masks that can be washed and reused is a great way to not only reduce our waste, but to make sure that the front line workers have the equipment they need.  If you are crafty, you can make your own masks, and personalize them to showcase your personality.

If your grocery store does not allow any reusable bags to be used in the store, you can ask that items be placed back into your basket or cart rather than in bags, and you can place your purchased items in bags back at your car. This way, you can ensure the safety of the staff while still reducing the number of plastic bags that are used during your shopping trip.

Cutting back on eating out is a good way to reduce the amount of plastic that is being consumed.  Did you know that food delivery companies like GrubHub saw huge jumps in revenue this year? While I personally loved being able to get my favorite food delivered to my door, I did notice the big increase in non-recyclable plastics in my garbage can. Currently, eating at restaurants is not much better, with the the Center for Disease Control (CDC ) recommending all restaurants to use disposable plates, cups, utensils and even single use condiment packets. This produces far more waste than pre-pandemic dining out, but is considered necessary to reduce the chance of restaurant staff coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.  Set a goal to cook from home more often – maybe even try making your favorite restaurant’s signature dish!

Use reusable water bottles. Switching to a reusable water bottle can save thousands of single use plastic bottles from entering our waterways each year, and it reduces the amount of plastic that you are consuming.  Reusable containers like water bottles or coffee mugs are easy to sterilize and safe to use, with a recent study showing that the coronavirus survives for longer periods of time on plastics than on glass. Hot water and soap are enough to sterilize reusable bottles, so be sure to practice good hygiene and to wash your containers (and your hands) frequently!

Most importantly, remember that every action makes a difference. How are you focusing on reducing your single use plastic? Send us an email and let us know!

Learn more about the Plastic Free July Movement here: Plasticfreejuly.org

WATCH Benefits of Composting and Living a Low Waste Lifestyle

As Plastic Free July wraps up we invite you to reflect on the lessons, experiences, and efforts to go “low waste” during Plastic Free July. Lauren McGrath, Watershed Program Director, will be joined by guest expert Gwenn Nolan of Mother Compost (www.mothercompost.com) to share information about how composting provides environmental benefits, tips for composting at home and waste solutions.