Chose to refuse - Plastic Free July

What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is an initiative by the Plastic Free Foundation, a NPO started in 2017 in Australia. It aims to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the environment and the ways in which people can reduce their plastic consumption.

Plastic Free July is recognised world wide and gains momentum with more and more people taking on the challenge every year. It’s one of the world’s most popular movements with more than 120 million participants from 177 countries last year (2018). The movement addresses several UN Sustainable Development Goals, namely Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11), Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG12), Life Below Water (SDG14), and Life On Land (SDG15). Local NPO, The Beach Co-op, regularly organises beach clean ups along Cape Town’s many beaches. Having started in 2015, their aim is clean and healthy beaches in South Africa.

While some plastic usage is unavoidable, single use plastic can be greatly reduced with many alternatives such as glass, tin or reusable containers. Shop Zero and Zero Waste Store in Cape Town offer zero waste/low waste shopping with shoppers buying products in glass / tin or bringing their own containers. A recent increase in objections to excessive plastic wrapping at supermarkets has highlighted unnecessary use of single use plastic, especially to wrap fruit such as oranges and bananas.

Two of our conservation projects, Ocean Conservation and the Shark Project focus on marine conservation which oftens feels the effects of plastic pollution the most with ghost fishing and microplastic being the biggest concerns.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding conservation volunteering and marine conservation, please feel free to contact us.

Yours,
The Good Hope Volunteer Team

To be part of our amazing volunteer community, please contact us.