Wanaka businesses, organisations and individuals are taking part in Plastic Free July, which kicks off today (July 1).

Plastic Free July is a global movement aimed at raising awareness of the number of single-use plastic items that are part of everyday life, and providing advice on how to avoid them. 

Participants commit to reducing or eliminating plastic waste from their lives for the month of July.

Wastebusters and Plastic Free Wanaka are once again getting behind the initiative, and encouraging everyone in the community to give it a go.

“It's all about simple swaps and how we can all do our bit day to day to reduce plastic waste in our businesses, households and community,” Wastebusters project manager Sophie Ward said. 

The organisers said they will be sharing lots of tips for reducing plastic consumption on social media throughout the month, and hope to inspire businesses to cut back by profiling local companies which have reduced their reliance on single-use plastics.

The annual Waste Free Fair (July 18), also hosted by Wastebusters and Plastic Free Wanaka, will be full of information about living more sustainably. 

SUC [Single Use Cup] Free Wanaka is another organisation that is promoting Plastic Free July in Wanaka. 

Formed by locals, SUC Free Wanaka runs a cup lending scheme which provides on-the-go convenience by giving coffee drinkers their beverage in a reusable cup for a small fee, refunded when the cup is returned to the cafe. 

Their goal is to make Wanaka single-use cup free by the end of 2020. 

“We’re doing a questionnaire to local cafe workers and owners, to see what the barriers are for them to become SUC free,” SUC Free Wanaka member Chrissie Lahood.

Also for Plastic Free July, SUC Free Wanaka is “targeting local businesses (not cafes) to get them to promote ‘use your own' in their business.”

There will also be an informational street stall to engage with the public about SUC Free Wanaka and the organisation will have a stall at the Waste Free Fair. 

If you want to take part in Plastic Free July click here for information, tips and resources, and join the more than 250 million participants who have completed Plastic Free July since 2011.

PHOTO: Supplied