Make A Difference During 'Plastic Free July'

Plastic pollution is harmful everywhere, from local roadways to the world's oceans.

"Plastic Fee July" promotes how changing our habits can make a difference.

At Verde Market in South Florida, it's "BYOC," bring your own container.

"The idea is you can refill and reuse as many times as possible," said Pamela Barrera.

Barrera, co-owner of the plastic-free refillery, started with her business partner after realizing just how much plastic they were wasting.

"We were saying what are we going to do with all this? Are we going to throw them away? Why don't we just reuse them? Refill them?" she said.

According to the Minderoo Foundation's 2023 "Plastic Waste Makers Index," there is more single-use plastic waste than ever before, with an additional 6 million metric tons generated in 2021 compared to 2019.

"We all want to live in a clean environment," said Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, who founded Plastic-Free July in 2011 with just 40 people going plastic-free for a month.

It's now a worldwide initiative.

"Last year 140 million people from 190 countries around the world took part and together we avoided 2.6 kilos of waste," she said.

The plastic problem can seem overwhelming, but there are small steps we can all take to reduce our use each day. That includes skipping plastic straws and bringing your own shopping bags, cups, or water bottles.

"It's not a few people being perfect. It's lots of people making small changes," said Prince-Ruiz.

If you want to make a change, advocates recommend you carry a reusable bag everywhere, incorporate reusable cutlery, and join a cleanup effort in your community.