If you're following our social media channels, you'll see many mentions of Plastic Free July this month, and you may have even clicked through to this article from a post.
Plastic Free July is an international movement that started at the grassroots level in Perth many years ago and is now a globally recognised platform to encourage action by industry and individuals.
As Australia's first dedicated manufacturer of plastic-free wet wipes, we want to help remove plastic from everyone's everyday world … one wet wipe at a time. Surprisingly, no one else seems to be talking about the vast amounts of plastic that go to waste with every little wet wipe …
Single-use products have a terrible reputation for their contribution to landfills. In specific environments, it is essential (like in hospitals – who wants a used plaster for their broken arm?). There are many reasons why using wipes grew exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic as we looked to keep our homes and workplaces clean and germ-free.
The widespread use of wipes won't reduce quickly, but we can quickly take the plastic out of the equation. Leading UK retailers Tesco and Aldi have already banned plastic wipes in advance of the 2024 overall ban on plastic wipes in England. According to Water UK, flushed plastic wet wipes are responsible for 93% of sewer blockages, costing around £100m a year to clear up. Sydney Water removes 500 tonnes of wipes from its pipe system yearly, equivalent to 60 T-Rex's!
With our flushable range soon to receive accreditation under the AS/NZS 5328, we are excited to launch more in our flushable range. So watch this space.
Being part of the plastic-free revolution will help us all to create cleaner and healthier homes, public spaces, oceans, and beautiful communities.
As we learn more ways to reduce our plastics, always remember that plastic-free living is not a handful of people doing it perfectly, it is millions of us doing it imperfectly. So switch to plastic-free wipes, get a refillable drink bottle, and ditch the disposable cutlery and plates at your next event (doing the dishes can be a lovely 'time out' moment).
The Plastic Free July motivates millions of people worldwide who choose to refuse single-use plastic. It doesn't matter what choice you make. Together our small steps make a big difference. What's your step?