Step Into Plastic Free July - A Global Call to Cut Single-Use Waste

Posted: 23 June 2026

Every July, millions of people around the world take part in Plastic Free July, a global movement encouraging individuals, communities and organisations to reduce single-use plastic waste.

For surfers, stand up paddlers and bodyboarders, the message is especially important. We spend time in the ocean, on rivers, lakes, beaches and coastlines - and often see first-hand how plastic pollution affects the places we love.

Plastic Free July is not about being perfect. It is about making simple, practical choices that reduce waste, protect blue spaces and help create cleaner waterways for everyone.

What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is a global campaign created to help people reduce plastic waste through everyday choices. The focus is mainly on avoiding single-use plastics - items used once and thrown away, such as plastic bottles, coffee cups, straws, cutlery, food wrappers and takeaway packaging.

The campaign encourages people to choose one change, take part for the month of July, and build habits that can continue long after the month ends.

That might mean bringing a reusable water bottle, refusing plastic bags, choosing reusable food containers, avoiding single-use coffee cups, or joining a local beach or waterway clean-up.

Why Plastic Free July Matters to Water Users

Plastic pollution does not stay in one place. Waste dropped in streets, parks, beaches or rivers can travel through drains and waterways before reaching the ocean.

Once there, plastic can harm marine life, damage habitats and break down into smaller pieces over time. For water users, this is not an abstract issue - it can be seen floating in harbours, washed up on beaches, caught in mangroves, or drifting near surf breaks and paddle routes.

Surfers, paddlers and bodyboarders are often among the first people to notice changes in local water quality, beach litter and coastal conditions. That gives the watersports community an important role to play in protecting the environments we use.

Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Around the Water

Reducing plastic does not need to be complicated. A few small changes can quickly become part of your surf, paddle or beach routine.

Simple swaps may include:

• Taking a reusable water bottle to the beach, river or lake
• Packing snacks in reusable containers
• Bringing your own coffee cup after a morning surf or paddle
• Avoiding single-use plastic bags when carrying wetsuits, towels or wet gear
• Keeping a small rubbish bag in your car, board bag or beach kit
• Choosing products with less unnecessary plastic packaging
• Picking up litter after a session if it is safe to do so
• Supporting cafés and shops that reduce single-use plastics

These actions may seem small, but they are easy to repeat. When they become part of everyday watersports habits, they help reduce the amount of plastic entering beaches, rivers, lakes and oceans.

Turn Your Session Into a Small Clean-Up

A clean-up does not need to be large or formal to make a difference. It could be as simple as spending 10 minutes collecting litter after a surf, paddle or bodyboard session.

Surfers and bodyboarders can help by checking the beach before leaving, collecting small items that have washed up with the tide, or removing rubbish left near dunes, car parks and beach access points.

Stand up paddlers can also help spot floating litter in rivers, canals, lakes, harbours and sheltered coastal areas. SUP boards can reach places that are difficult to access from land, but safety should always come first.

Only collect rubbish when conditions are safe, avoid sharp or hazardous items, and never put yourself at risk to reach litter. Useful items include reusable gloves, a litter grabber, a mesh bag or bucket, and a clear plan for disposing of collected waste responsibly.

Make It Local

Plastic Free July works best when it connects to the places you actually use.

Every surf break, paddle route, river, lake and beach has different challenges. In some places, the issue may be takeaway packaging. In others, it may be plastic bottles, fishing line, food wrappers, discarded gear, or rubbish washed in after heavy rain.

Start by noticing what appears most often in your local environment. Then choose one action that helps reduce it.

That could mean changing what you pack, speaking to friends about reusable options, joining a community clean-up, or simply making it a habit to leave the beach cleaner than you found it.

Beyond July

Plastic Free July is a useful starting point, but the goal is to build habits that continue all year.

For surfers, paddlers and bodyboarders, reducing plastic waste is part of a wider responsibility to protect blue spaces. That includes ocean awareness, surf safety, responsible tourism, wildlife respect, and caring for the beaches, rivers, lakes and coastlines we enjoy.

Every water user can contribute in some way.

The action does not need to be perfect. It just needs to start.

Take the Challenge

This Plastic Free July, choose one action that works for you.

Bring a reusable bottle. Avoid takeaway plastic. Join a beach clean. Pick up what you safely can. Pack snacks without single-use packaging. Share the message with your friends.

The more people who take part, the stronger the impact.

As water users, we all rely on clean oceans, rivers, lakes and coastlines. Plastic Free July is a reminder that protecting those places begins with everyday choices.

Find out more and take part in Plastic Free July:
https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/