We're halfway through the year, which means that it's Plastic Free July!  

This month is an opportunity to consider plastic alternatives. Here are some easy ways you can incorporate changes into your everyday lives:

• Bring a Keep Cup for your morning coffee - the plastic top of disposable cups is not recyclable in the ACT. Planet Ark estimated that 1 billion disposable coffee cups end up in landfill every year in Australia, equating to about 60,000 tonnes of plastic! 
• Use bar soaps instead of liquid soaps or other zero waste cleaning products -  not only is liquid soap contained in plastic bottles, often the product also contains micro-plastics that pollute our waterways.  
• Avoid using plastic bags while shopping and avoid produce unnecessarily wrapped in plastic - you can avoid plastic and save money at the Canberra Food Co-op or other bulk food outlets in Canberra. 

ANU Below Zero Program and the Environmental Management Plan 2022-2025 include a focus on establishing circular economy programs to reduce waste and its associated emissions. Get involved with these programs by considering actions you can take for plastic alternatives in your life and practices on campus. Join the ANU Green Network, an online resource for you to get involved with environmental sustainability at ANU and help us build a community around positive environmental change! 

Post ways you reduce plastic at work or at home to the Community stories on sustainability action channel on the ANU Green Network.

The ACT Government are regularly enacting bans on single-use plastics. Find out what these are on their website.  

Plastic free July means trying something new! If you already reduce your plastic waste in these ways, are there other areas of your life where plastic can be avoided, but you are unsure how? Check out the Plastic free July website for more ideas on how to reduce your plastic consumption.