Thank you for participating in the 2024 Plastic-Free July challenge!
The most powerful impact can be made through collective action! We appreciate your participation in this year’s Plastic-Free July challenge and hope the campaign has not only underscored how much plastic is entrenched in our day-to-day living, but also provided some tools and strategies that you can share to help reduce our plastic footprint.
Top 5 takeaway tips for plastic-free, day-to-day living
Swap one plastic item at a time for a gradual change leading to a bigger impact. Start reducing your plastic waste at home by replacing one plastic item at a time with a refillable or reusable alternative. These small changes will gradually lead to a significant impact.
Plan ahead. Preparing for the day ahead at home is a perfect time to incorporate sustainable practices into your routine. By planning ahead, you maximize your chances of reducing plastic waste. Through simple actions like carrying a reusable bottle, mug and a zero-waste kit, you can help TMU to achieve its zero-waste goal.
Make use of TMU’s resources. Take advantage of programs like TMU Eats' reusable Friendlier container program and the Waste Wizard to help you adopt more sustainable habits.
Apply a green lens to campus event planning. This involves evaluating the environmental impact of every event aspect—from materials and waste to energy use—and making choices that support sustainability. Leverage TMU's Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines to make informed decisions that align with the university's sustainability goals, ensuring responsible resource management and social sustainability.
Practice the Five Rs of waste diversion. Refuse single-use products, reduce your consumption with mindful shopping, choose reusable instead of disposable products and repurpose old items — like worn out shirts for cleaning, recycle when the first four options are not viable and take advantage of composting (“rot”), since organics don’t break down easily in compacted landfill.
Encourage and inspire: Reflect and share your insights
Share your findings with the TMU community. Highlight any unexpected discoveries, actions taken or lessons learned by sharing your experiences through conversations, social media posts and tagging us (@TMUsustainability (external link) ), or by emailing us directly at sustainability@torontomu.ca.
Your contributions can inspire others across campus to continue their plastic-free journeys!
Keep going! You can effect long-term change!
Continue your plastic-free commitment by incorporating three changes to your routine that eliminate or reduce your plastic consumption. Pledge to maintain three strategies and tell us how well you succeeded as a plastic-free superstar to inspire others next year for Plastic-Free July 2024.
#PlasticFreeJuly #TMUGoesGreen