As the calendar flips to July, we turn our attention to Plastic-Free July—a global movement that encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to reduce their plastic consumption and make more sustainable choices moving forward.
In a world where beauty often comes packaged in plastic, here at UpCircle, we are committed to challenging the norm and have proven that beauty products can be plastic-free without compromising on quality. This Plastic-Free July, we have partnered with our friends at Nudj to share our favourite 'Plastic-Free Challenges' through Nudj's app so keep reading to find out how you participate!
Plastic pollution has become an urgent global crisis with devastating effects on our environment, wildlife, and ultimately, our own well-being. Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans, landfills, and ecosystems, taking hundreds of years to decompose. This never-ending cycle of consumption and disposal has put a tremendous strain on the delicate balance of our planet.
Plastic-Free July aims to reverse this trend by raising awareness and encouraging individuals and businesses to find alternatives to single-use plastics. By making small, intentional changes to our everyday routines, we can collectively make a significant impact. From using reusable bags and water bottles to choosing plastic-free packaging. Every action matters.
At UpCircle, we believe in leading by example. Our brand name encapsulates our core purpose: sustainability and promoting the power of the circular economy. We go a step further with our waste-fighting formulations, rescuing at least one upcycled ingredient into every product we make. We have also extended our circular approach to packaging too and have now refilled 25,00 pieces of packaging via our “Return, Refill, Reuse” scheme. However, we didn’t stop there in our mission to help combat plastic pollution. We became a Plastic Negative certified brand which means we remove more plastic from the environment than we create as an entire business!
Here are some of our favourite plastic-free challenges we will be taking part in!
Plastic Free Week Challenge
About the Challenge: Try to eliminate all single-use plastic every day this week to complete this challenge.
7 times per week is equivalent to 1KG of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: Products like laundry detergent often come in cardboard packaging, which is more easily recycled than plastic.
Carbon impacts: Each day you eliminate a single-use plastic you could save about half a kilogram of carbon!
Why we love this challenge: It's the most eye opening and arguably the most impactful challenge! Single-use plastic is so integrated into our everyday lives we don't notice it. So once we cut it out, we will realise how easy it is to find plastic free alternatives.
Repurpose a Container
About the Challenge: Reuse or repurpose a disposable container/jar that is designed for "single-use" this week
1 time per week is equivalent to 0.4kg of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: You can use old containers and jars for storage, vases or arts and crafts
Carbon impacts: Approx.15-51 trillion pieces of microplastic contaminate our oceans (Center for Biological Diversity, n.a.)
Why we love this challenge: Everyone can make this change as we all have an empty container or a water bottle lying around the house. Punch some holes in the cap of a water bottle, and you have a great, makeshift watering can!
Reuse your Cup
About the challenge: Use a reusable cup when buying a hot drink.
1 time per week is equivalent to 0.1kg of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: Most coffee shops sell their own reusable cups if you forget yours.
Carbon impacts: Just seven refills are enough to offset the impact of manufacturing a refill cup compared to a single-use cup (Zero Waste Europe, 2020)
Why we love this challenge: It keeps your drinks cooler! A plastic cup/bottle can’t offer the same level of insulation as reusable cups, which are specially designed to keep your drink at the temperature it’s meant to be for longer.
Donate Instead of Buying Flowers for Someone
About the challenge: If you want to do something thoughtful for someone, whether it be a regular day or a special occasion, donate to a charity in their name instead of buying flowers.
1 time per week is equivalent to 32.3kg of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: Bonus points if it was an eco-charity as your carbon savings may be even higher.
Carbon impacts: No flowers also means no plastic wrapping to dispose of.
Health and Well-being impact: Flowers are powerful symbols in almost all cultures, so if you do occasionally purchase flowers, try to make sure they're locally grown and your carbon costs will be greatly reduced.
Why we love this challenge: Such a clever idea! We can't be the only ones who didn't think of this. This is perfect for your eco-friendly loved ones.
Let's make this Plastic-Free July a month of transformation, empowerment, and meaningful change!
In a world where beauty often comes packaged in plastic, here at UpCircle, we are committed to challenging the norm and have proven that beauty products can be plastic-free without compromising on quality. This Plastic-Free July, we have partnered with our friends at Nudj to share our favourite 'Plastic-Free Challenges' through Nudj's app so keep reading to find out how you participate!
Why Plastic-Free July Matters?
Plastic pollution has become an urgent global crisis with devastating effects on our environment, wildlife, and ultimately, our own well-being. Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans, landfills, and ecosystems, taking hundreds of years to decompose. This never-ending cycle of consumption and disposal has put a tremendous strain on the delicate balance of our planet.
Plastic-Free July aims to reverse this trend by raising awareness and encouraging individuals and businesses to find alternatives to single-use plastics. By making small, intentional changes to our everyday routines, we can collectively make a significant impact. From using reusable bags and water bottles to choosing plastic-free packaging. Every action matters.
UpCircle's Commitment:
At UpCircle, we believe in leading by example. Our brand name encapsulates our core purpose: sustainability and promoting the power of the circular economy. We go a step further with our waste-fighting formulations, rescuing at least one upcycled ingredient into every product we make. We have also extended our circular approach to packaging too and have now refilled 25,00 pieces of packaging via our “Return, Refill, Reuse” scheme. However, we didn’t stop there in our mission to help combat plastic pollution. We became a Plastic Negative certified brand which means we remove more plastic from the environment than we create as an entire business!
Nudj’s commitment:
Nudj is a free app on a mission to make sustainability simple, social, and rewarding. Their innovative platform empowers individuals to make small yet impactful changes to their daily habits, enabling them to live more sustainably while tracking their progress over time. Since their launch in March 2022, together with their community, they have saved over 98 tonnes of carbon emissions and logged more than 17,300 actions through their diverse range of challenges in lifestyle, home, travel, waste, and food categories. Nudj leverages the power of technology to inspire and support users in making a difference. With Nudj, sustainability becomes an integral part of everyday life. They aim to achieve a one-tonne carbon reduction for every adult on their platform by 2025, harnessing the collective impact of their users. They believe that true meaningful change fundamentally starts at the individual level and comes down to the small everyday choices that we make. Meg Crawford and Dee Maloney, both driven by their love for nature and desire to make a difference, joined forces as co-founders to create Nudj. As mothers, they were further inspired by their children, wanting to create a better world for future generations. With Meg's expertise in data analysis and Dee's background in environmental management, Nudj became the embodiment of their shared vision – empowering individuals to make informed choices, fostering a sustainable lifestyle, and preserving the beauty of our planet.Team UpCircle’s favourite Plastic-free Nudj challenges:
Here are some of our favourite plastic-free challenges we will be taking part in!
Plastic Free Week Challenge
About the Challenge: Try to eliminate all single-use plastic every day this week to complete this challenge.
7 times per week is equivalent to 1KG of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: Products like laundry detergent often come in cardboard packaging, which is more easily recycled than plastic.
Carbon impacts: Each day you eliminate a single-use plastic you could save about half a kilogram of carbon!
Why we love this challenge: It's the most eye opening and arguably the most impactful challenge! Single-use plastic is so integrated into our everyday lives we don't notice it. So once we cut it out, we will realise how easy it is to find plastic free alternatives.
Repurpose a Container
About the Challenge: Reuse or repurpose a disposable container/jar that is designed for "single-use" this week
1 time per week is equivalent to 0.4kg of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: You can use old containers and jars for storage, vases or arts and crafts
Carbon impacts: Approx.15-51 trillion pieces of microplastic contaminate our oceans (Center for Biological Diversity, n.a.)
Why we love this challenge: Everyone can make this change as we all have an empty container or a water bottle lying around the house. Punch some holes in the cap of a water bottle, and you have a great, makeshift watering can!
Reuse your Cup
About the challenge: Use a reusable cup when buying a hot drink.
1 time per week is equivalent to 0.1kg of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: Most coffee shops sell their own reusable cups if you forget yours.
Carbon impacts: Just seven refills are enough to offset the impact of manufacturing a refill cup compared to a single-use cup (Zero Waste Europe, 2020)
Why we love this challenge: It keeps your drinks cooler! A plastic cup/bottle can’t offer the same level of insulation as reusable cups, which are specially designed to keep your drink at the temperature it’s meant to be for longer.
Donate Instead of Buying Flowers for Someone
About the challenge: If you want to do something thoughtful for someone, whether it be a regular day or a special occasion, donate to a charity in their name instead of buying flowers.
1 time per week is equivalent to 32.3kg of carbon saved per week.
General impacts: Bonus points if it was an eco-charity as your carbon savings may be even higher.
Carbon impacts: No flowers also means no plastic wrapping to dispose of.
Health and Well-being impact: Flowers are powerful symbols in almost all cultures, so if you do occasionally purchase flowers, try to make sure they're locally grown and your carbon costs will be greatly reduced.
Why we love this challenge: Such a clever idea! We can't be the only ones who didn't think of this. This is perfect for your eco-friendly loved ones.
Let's make this Plastic-Free July a month of transformation, empowerment, and meaningful change!