by Sheila Morovati

As Habits of Waste (H.o.W.) founder, Sheila Morovati, puts it “Plastic Free July is a great month of awareness building for the plastic pollution crisis we find ourselves in today. There are many ways individuals can take action such as refusing single-use plastics and replacing them with reusable alternatives. Summer is always a time for celebrations and gatherings, which can be made less wasteful with just a few small changes.”

Please find below ten tips from Sheila on how we can take part in Plastic Free July, and have a fun, yet sustainable, summer.    

1.     Ditch disposables. Planning a picnic? Take your reusable utensils with you. Have fun with it and tell your friends to bring their own cups/plates/utensils. If ordering take out, join the #CutOutCutlery Campaign, and opt out of receiving utensils.  Each year 40,000,000,000 plastic forks, spoons, and knives are used and thrown away each year. That is a lot of zeros!

2.     BYOB! Bring Your Own Bottle and fill up anywhere using applications such as TAP. Also, use plastic bottle alternatives, such as reusable water bottles. Last year, the average American used 167 disposable water bottles, but only recycled 38. 

3.     Say no to plastic bags! Reduce the plastic in your groceries and utilize reusable totes, produce bags, and canvas bags for your shopping and get togethers. 

4.     Eat more plants!  By decreasing our animal protein intake by 40% (quickly done by swapping out eight meals a week for plant-based foods), we can reduce 540 kk CO2 per year – which is the equivalent of an average American family driving a hybrid car for one year! If you need ideas, check out the #8Meals App for recipes, ideas, and track your carbon footprint.

5.     Eat local! The average carrot purchased at the supermarket travels 2000 miles. Whether you're in your hometown or on vacation, buy from the local farmers market to find fresh produce that is in season and grown locally. It tastes better too!

6.     Use ocean-friendly sunscreen. Find brands that don't include oxybenzone and octinoxate so we can protect our reefs against bleaching. 

7.     Buy sustainable swimwear for yourself and the family. If you are looking for a new swimsuit, be sure to shop responsibly from an eco-friendly brand that puts the environment first. Many brands use recycled materials to create gorgeous swimwear.  

8.     Reset your sprinklers. Time your sprinklers for the early am so that the water has a chance to hydrate your garden: The most efficient times to water your garden is when the sun will have the least impact, either early morning and/or late afternoon/evening. The best time to water your garden would be when it's still cool in the morning but isn't too late and dry.

9.     Go on a staycation. Explore your hometown or city and stay at that Airbnb or hotel you've always wanted to visit. By exploring locally, you can reduce your CO2 footprint by avoiding flights or long drives.

10. Get MOVING! Ride your bike to run smaller errands or visit a friend! When there’s beautiful weather there’s nothing better than riding your bike around wherever you can.

During Plastic Free July, Habits of Waste introduced the #ShipNaked campaign which asks Amazon, Walmart, and Target to ship differently by eliminating unnecessary packaging in online orders. Oceana has estimated that up to 22.44 MILLION POUNDS of Amazon Plastic packaging ended up in the world’s freshwater and marine ecosystems in 2019. It’s up to us to act intentionally and reduce our footprint as much as possible. To view the #ShipNaked video created for the campaign, click HERE, which went live on the the Habits of Waste instagram yesterday!  

ABOUT SHEILA MICHAIL MOROVATI  

A first-generation Iranian American and environmentalist, Sheila Morovati is the president and founder of Habits of Waste (H.o.W), an organization dedicated to educating the public on easy habits to incorporate into one’s lifestyle to help preserve our planet (i.e. reducing the use of single-use waste, reducing one’s carbon footprint, etc.). With a degree in sociology from UCLA, Morovati was the catalyst for the ban of plastic straws, utensils and stirrers in the City of Malibu through her revolutionary #CutOutCutlery campaign. Morovati believes that people want to do the right thing when it comes to the environment, but they must first be enlightened on how to make a change in their own behavior. She is now embarking on shifting the societal mindset around plant-based eating with H.o.W’s newly launched app #8Meals, which gives people the option to have a partially based Vegan diet to offset their carbon emissions. 

Morovati lives in Los Angeles with her husband and 2 children and has been featured in Forbes, LA Times, LA Magazine, TechCrunch, New York Daily News, HuffPost, Bloomberg Radio and various regional broadcasts. Morovati is also the president and founder of the Crayon Collection, a non-profit organization that has successfully been collecting gently used crayons from restaurant chains nationwide and donating them to underserved schools internationally. Morovati and her Crayon Collection organization also set a Guinness World Record with the largest crayon donation in history with over 1 million crayons donated to teachers at LAUSD and Head Start Centers in Los Angeles. For additional details, please visit www.crayoncollection.organdwww.habitsofwaste.org.