Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, founder of Plastic Free July, shares insights on reducing single-use plastic waste and fostering lasting habits for a sustainable lifestyle.
Claire Murashima reports for NPR.
In short:
- Plastic Free July began in 2011 when Rebecca Prince-Ruiz saw the excessive plastic waste in her community.
- To prepare for a plastic-free month, Prince-Ruiz suggests starting with a "plastic-free kit" and gradually adjusting habits.
- Last year, 89 million people participated, reducing over 500 million pounds of plastic waste.
Key quote:
“I think plastic, in some ways, is a symbol of how busy we've become; of the throwaway society that we've become.”
— Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, Founder of Plastic Free July
Why this matters:
Reducing single-use plastics helps mitigate the environmental impact of plastic pollution, which takes decades to centuries to decompose. Small individual actions can collectively drive significant systemic change.
