Plastic Free July 2022: Everything you need to smash the challenge

Though largely made from cardboard, disposable coffee cups are lined with plastic polyethylene to make them waterproof. This means cups cannot be recycled at standard recycling plants, and instead must be taken to specific facilities – only three of these exist in the UK. With a range of cafés offering discount schemes for customers who bring in reusable cups, it's time to invest in one before you return to work post-lockdown.

Taking the top spot in our review of the best reusable coffee cups is this Circular&Co reusable coffee cup. It won best buy for being “an excellent cup made from single-use paper cups”, with our tester saying it’s “designed to last a decade and is 100 per cent recyclable at the end of its life”. What’s more, it’s “totally leak proof”.

Cling film is extremely hard to recycle and not accepted at most centres. It’s unfortunately a kitchen staple, but there’s actually plenty of alternatives – allow us to introduce you to silicone lids. While beeswax wraps (Aldi.co.uk, £5.99) are a popular choice, we think these are best kept for sandwiches, as opposed to keeping refrigerated food fresh. Silicone lids like these, however, stretch to fit oddly shaped and sized containers, which makes swapping out cling film a whole lot easier. They’re even dishwasher, freezer and microwave safe.

Ditching single-use plastic bags this month might be tricky if you’re not used to it. While the convenience of paying an extra 10p to transport your goods home might be persuasive. Don’t give in. Instead, carry a reusable tote with you, so you’re not left empty-handed.

Kind Bag is our go-to brand, and its shopping bag took the top spot in our guide to the best reusable carriers thanks to its “great design” and size. “It’s huge and can hold two or three times your usual plastic shopping bag and around 20kg”, praised our writer. Plus, it “folds down into a little pouch”, is “waterproof, weighs just 50g and is also 100 per cent recyclable”.

If that’s not enough to persuade you, Kind also donates 1 per cent of all sales – not just profit – to a range of charities, including Just One Ocean, a charity that raises awareness of plastic pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature UK, Breast Cancer Haven and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

With more plastic water bottles being sold in the UK than ever before, our thirst for single-use items shows no sign of slowing down. It’s time to change this up. Instead of buying bottled water, save your pennies and invest in a reusable alternative that will see you through July and beyond.

This one was a firm favourite in our review of the best reusable water bottles thanks to it being lighter than most insulated bottles. “The wide mouth made it suitable for adding ice to our water”, the tester said, adding that “it also works well for hot liquids such as soup and coffee”. It’s made using 18/8 pro-grade stainless steel meaning it “benefits from double-wall vacuum insulation, which keeps cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours”. It’s a great all-rounder, plus it is dishwasher friendly.

Books are a great source of hard-hitting evidence in the hope of making you feel more empowered to make a change and this title aims to “demystify some of the everyday eco speak, so you can make informed choices”, wrote our reviewer in our guide to the best plastic-free books.

It tackles questions such as “is non-dairy milk really better for the planet? And are paper bags more environmentally friendly than plastic?”. What’s more, the book itself has even been made sustainably, “printed in black and white, on recycled paper locally, in order to reduce air miles”. A timely read.

While it's easy to focus on the things you can’t use, see Plastic Free July as an exciting opportunity to try new products. This refillable deodorant featured in our guide to the best plastic free beauty products and comes from a brand that’s climate-positive, “meaning any carbon made during production is counteracted by planting trees”.

As for the product itself, the refills are made from bamboo pulp, so they’re compostable and our writer noted that the brand never tests on animals. There are four scents to choose from: rose blush, mint fresh, coconut dream, orange zest and bergamot rituals, with the latter being a “mild and absolutely not overpowering” scent. “We found it protected us well, didn’t leave us feeling sweaty at the end of the day (even after light exercise) and we didn’t experience any unwanted odours,” praised our writer.

“It’s cheaper – and easier – to subscribe (for £12 you get the case and one refill), but if you want to make a one-off purchase, it’s £25 for the case and three refills”. A great swap to make during Plastic Free July and beyond.