No Plastic July: What You Need to Know, and How To Get Involved

Mark Karanja Jingkids

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Ready for some not so fun facts? China produces 200 million metric tons of waste every year, and this massive number is expected to grow 50% faster than the global average. Walk into any supermarket and you will see a sea of plastic-packaged comestibles and drinks, whlie ordering waimai and Taobao packages is enough to leave any apartment floor awash with plastic wrapping, containers, and cutlery. (And I don’t need to tell you that the damage wrought over the 1,000 years it takes for a single-use plastic to biodegrade is not worth the average 12 minutes of use you might get from it.)

Unfortunately, China also happens to be one of five countries creating over 60% of all marine plastic debris entering the oceans, with China’s Yangtze River carrying more plastic pollution into the ocean than any other waterway in the world. With these shocking figures, the Chinese government itself has stepped up its actions, in 2008, enacting a law prohibiting retailers from providing single-use plastics for free, then in 2018, China announcing it would stop accepting other countries’ plastic waste for recycling. This year, the government began enforcing a ban on single-use plastic straws and bags.

While government-level responses like this are essential, small but significant changes are also taking place on a grassroots level in both local and international communities committed to stemming the tide of plastic waste. One such community is Global Friendship and their ‘No Plastic July’ initiative. Spearheaded by environmentalist warriors Oksana Yermolenko, Michelle Myra from LAeconista, and environmental economist Talia Soorenko in conjunction with Global Friendship, the ‘No Plastic July’ initiative is bound to create lasting change in how we view and use plastics in Beijing and indeed in China.

What is ‘No Plastic July’?

No Plastic July was born in 2011 as an initiative by the Plastic Free Foundation as a 4- week echo challenge, and now has a global reach of over 150 million people working towards reducing plastic pollution and preserving the planet. And with the plastic produced globally since the 1950’s standing at 8.3 billion tonnes and only 9% of that being recycled, this initiative could not have come soon enough.

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How to Get Involved

Global Friendship, with their global partners and eco advocates, welcome Beijing’s families and individuals to participate in this year’s Earth Day activities along with this year’s online Eco challenge which allows remote participation. It is easy to be a part of the movement.

To join the ‘Plastic Free July 2020’ WeChat group, scan the QR code to complete a short survey, after which the organizers will manually add you to the group. Once in, you’ll have access to all the information you need to get started on your plastic-free journey.

In addition, the team at Global friendship has also prepared a list of must-watch documentaries and must-read books to get you well on your way:

Documentaries

A Plastic Ocean

“A Plastic Ocean is an adventure documentary shot on more than 20 locations over the past 4 years.
Explorers Craig Leeson and Tanya Streeter and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions.”

Plastic China

Plastic China’s main character Yi-Jie is an unschooled 11-year-old girl whose family works and lives in a typical plastic waste household-recycling workshop. As much as her life is poor and distorted, she’s a truly global child who learns the outside world from the waste workshop that her family lives in and works in – also known as the “United Nations of Plastic Wastes.”

Waste Land

Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.

Books

Life Without Plastic, by Chantal Plamondon and Jay Sinha
This fun guide and engaging story meets you and feeds you wherever you are: brand new to the issue or a seasoned plastic-free living expert. It is a powerful gift that keeps on giving – many have told us it has changed their lives.

Plastic Free Book: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, By Beth Terry
People who are just waking up to the problems of plastic will find the step-by-step approach useful and non-intimidating. Those who are a lot further along the path will find plenty to further challenge themselves.

To get more information and more resources on No Plastic July, please visit the beijingkids blog for more.

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Photos: Courtesy of Event Organizers, Unsplash

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