Refuse

GITH Magazine Focuses on Green this month as part of Plastic Free July.

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. Cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities are the main focus for our GITH Goes Green campaign this July. By us all choosing to refuse single-use plastics and drastically reducing the amount of plastic waste ending up as litter or going to landfill we can make a real difference. We hope to share some resources and ideas to help your reduce single-use plastic waste at home, work, school, and even at your local cafe.

choose to refuse AND REUSE

There is always a different way of doing things and if we can start to alter our daily behaviour and day to day habits, choosing to refuse the use of single used plastic and encouraging others to do the same, that will go a long way. These are five actionable things you can start doing right now.

1. Ditch Single Use Plastic. Think Reusable

Get in the habit of using reusable bags when you shop. Reusable alternatives to single-use plastic products including bread and bulk food bags, coffee cups, sandwich wraps and drink bottles can easily be swapped by a bag for life and are all now readily available therefore it’s up to us to make the change. It will soon become second nature.

2. REFUSE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC EVERYWHERE YOU GO

When you go to the local farms and groceries to buy your fresh fruit and vegetables, help sellers to reduce their single-use plastic by refusing to take it. You don’t need it if you have your bag for life! If your local shop doesn’t offer a plastic-free option, shop elsewhere.

How many places on Gozo are actually making a difference by using paper cups and straws? When you go for a drink, take your own cup and most definitely refuse the straws. It’s a bad habit that businesses simply must leave behind as of now.

3. Shop Sustainably

Buying products that are organic, sustainably sourced and ethically made is not as hard as it used to be. Anything from household items to beauty products can now be found that are suitable for you, with just a click of a button. But the goal here is to find local people selling sustainable, environmentally friendly products and support them by buying what they offer and fiercely encourage those that are starting up with these same values. They are the future.

4. Buy less, Choose well, Make it last

Are you a bored buyer? a habitual hoarder? a same-day shopper? Giving some thought to your personal buying behaviour gives you solid gold insight into repeat patterns and when you work out what they are – all you need to know is that you can change them whenever you wish.

• Buy from your local farm shop or grocery store. Choose what you will eat and plan your meals to avoid waste.
• Buy second-hand clothes and recycle what you no longer wear.
• Choose slow fashion, ignore the trends and wear what suits you.
• Recycle wherever you can.
• If you are still holding on to stuff that no longer serves – pass it on! Check this article on space-saving tips.

5. RE-EVerything…

There are hundreds of tips and tricks on how to recycle just about anything nowadays. Using something just once should be a thing of the past.

The Streets Are our home too

Caring about the streets, beaches and fields around us is as important as our daily waste regime. Time and time again we walk along cliffs or hike in and out of farmland trails and come across waste dumped without care and consideration for others, the community and mother earth. We need to accept this recurring problem as our collective responsibility and spend less time cursing the uneducated people that left it there. We’ve programmed a series of events with some lovely local businesses who already make cleanups a regular part of their lives this July. We would all love you to get involved. This is how;

• Join a clean up! Goto our GITHGreen Page for details.
• Start a clean-up where you are. We know numerous folk around the island already organise cleanups across Gozo and we salute you but those who haven’t grab a bin bag and fill it up on your next walk and don’t forget the hand san!

Helping to clean the areas in which we live is a wonderfully proactive and soul-filling thing to do. It’s a great way to feel inclusive, meet new people and do your bit for the local areas and let’s face it, we are better together. If you are doing a clean up in your area – we would love to hear from you. Email us at: teamGITH@gmail.com

For Businesses:

Join the GITH Business Group where you can find free resources to help you reduce plastic at work and discuss how we an all make a difference together.