It’s official: disposable plastic is now seriously uncool. Making it in the first place takes a toll on the planet because of the oil required, then the plastic does further damage after we’ve finished with it. Marine scientists have known for decades that plastic rubbish finds its way into our oceans, killing sea life.

A seahorse tries to camouflage itself inside a plastic bag. Photo credit: Greenpeace UK

So how do we reduce the amount of plastic we consume in our daily lives? How can we become more mindful about a substance that’s practically everywhere and makes our lives a lot more convenient? More to the point, how do we separate the convenient from the truly essential?

My sister Esther, currently living in Melbourne, has sent me details of an Australian scheme known as Plastic-Free July. The challenge is simple: you attempt to get through July while using as little single-use plastic as possible. By “single-use plastics”, they mean plastic items that are actually designed to be used once before being thrown away: plastic cups, straws, plastic bags and so on.

I’ve decided to give it a go, along with Esther, her partner and a couple of other family members. We start tomorrow (Monday 1st July) and I’ll be blogging about how it goes. Does anybody else want to join in? I’ll be happy to hear about your experiences and share them on the Sustainable Witney blog!