Do you ever ask yourself what you could be doing to reduce the use of plastic and ultimately contribute to a cleaner and greener future? Taking small steps in your everyday life, such as swapping plastic bags, straws, bottles and packaging are small ways you can help. By looking for reusable alternatives, shopping in bulk, and supporting businesses that offer plastic-free options this will all help to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans and ultimately protect the environment we live in and the wildlife suffering from this harmful pollution.

Plastic free July is a global movement that encourages individuals to reduce their plastic consumption. The initiative aims to raise awareness about the environment impact of plastic pollution and inspire people to make sustainable choices in their daily lives. Whether you are a seasoned environmentalist or new to the concept of sustainability, Plastic Free July offers an opportunity to make a positive impact and be part of a global community.

At Inspirations we do everything we can to contribute and educate the children for a more sustainable and eco-friendly way of living. Some of the changes we have made, and continue to make are:

• Recycling – we have recycling bins throughout the nursery to make sure items such
  as paper, cardboard, aluminium and selective plastics, are disposed of appropriately
  and safely.
• Composting – we have 3 large composting bins that staff, children and parents
  contribute to daily. We have caddies for families to take home and transport their
  waste to Nursery.
• Materials/resources – we try use materials for everyday activities that are safe to
  recycle. We make our own Glitter as this is specifically damaging to the environment,
  and sticking materials that are more sustainable.
• Litter picking – We take out small groups to the local area and we encourage
  families to participate in littler picking in their own time, lending pickers should they
  need to use them.

These are just some of the ways in which we help, and we are constantly reflecting and learning of new ways to help the world we live in. When recycling plastic, reading the labels on the reverse of packaging is vital as to avoid the disposal of non recyclable items. Please visit What to put in your green bin
https://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/bins-and-recycling/your-bins/green-recycling-bin
https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/take-the-challenge/ has lots of resources and ways to get involved. Take part in the challenge
this month and take steps towards a plastic free lifestyle.

-Ashleigh