Over the last decade, humans have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century. The good news is, we’re all becoming conscious of why this needs to change, and lots of us are starting to make switches to reduce the amount of plastic waste in our lives.

Plastic Free July was created to encourage people to start making that shift, and we asked our friends over at The Eco Larder to advise us on some of their top tips for going plastic free. But really, these are solutions we can implement all year round — and there's no time like the present, right?

Top tips to go plastic free

Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo version. Bamboo is often considered a great swap for plastic as they're naturally antibacterial, BPA-free and biodegradable. They're also considered a particularly sustainable material as they grow really quickly, with some types growing 5 centimetres in a single hour, and need very little water and maintenance. Most importantly, bamboo toothbrushes are biodegradable, meaning it won't stick around and pollute our waterways once we're done with it.

Pick up some reusable makeup pads. Made from organic cotton and bamboo, these wipes can be washed and used again and again. Our friends at The Eco Larder reported that single-use cotton wool and wet wipes are some of the most common bits of litter found on beach cleans.

BYO-cutlery. These next ones are Pawprint suggestions! If you're packing for a picnic, getting takeaway from a cafe or spontaneously happen upon some outdoor food stalls, having your own reusable cutlery on hand means you can opt out of their single use offerings. Always prepared!

Fill up your reusable keepcup / bottle. You usually get a few pence shaved off the price of your flat white as well. Ka-ching.

Get your essentials at a zero waste store. Filling your glass or plastic containers with pulses/grains/rice/soap at your local zero waste shop is a great way to feed two birds with one scone — cutting back on single-use products, and reusing what you've already got to reduce their carbon impact.

Sometimes plastic items are necessary—and that's alright! If you really need one, try to reuse it as many times as possible. The same goes for reusable products: they usually have a higher carbon footprint than single-use plastics initially, but their environmental impact goes down every time you use it. Ultimately, our goal should be to use what we've already got as many times as possible.

Whether it’s eliminating single-use plastics over time, or making an effort to reuse our products more, everyone doing their bit will have a big impact on the pollution problem.