The Plastic Free July 2024 Campaign has been launched

Today, the first day of July is traditionally also the first day of the national Campaign dedicated to Plastic-Free July with the generic:  "Turning off the faucet - Stopping plastic pollution".

After last year's edition, this year we aim to inform and actively involve more people and institutions. The focus of the campaign is to promote the reduction of the amount of plastic waste, an affordable solution within reach of each of us.

The best waste is that which does not exist. In the case of plastic waste – recycling has proven not to be the most efficient solution, only 3 % of the total plastic waste generated at national level being recycled. Today, products packaged in single-use plastic are sold on the national market, which are difficult or not at all recyclable and which in some cases pose major risks to the health of the population. The situation is very difficult, especially in the urban and rural localities of the country, which do not have the necessary infrastructure for the collection of this waste.

These realities require urgent measures, based on a different approach than the current one, namely proactive measures, focused on prevention and directly "Closing the tap for single-use plastic packaging that cannot be recycled!"

OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN: 

• Promotion of the legislative initiative to BAN the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging;  
• Introducing targets for reuse and the REP-ecomodular fee in GD no. 561/2020 for the approval of the Regulation on packaging and packaging waste, with the aim of encouraging manufacturers to opt for more sustainable and easily recyclable packaging, i.e. the gradual reduction of single-use packaging;  
• Sensitizing the population about the negative impact of plastic products on the environment through various waste collection events, informational materials, informative workshops, etc.;  
• Promoting reuse and green alternatives to single-use plastic packaging. 

How is the campaign organized and access to informational resources?

Totally we have 5 weeks of July and 5 topics covered:

• Week 1 (July 1-7): The impact of PLASTIC packaging in contact with food products 
• Week 2 (July 8-14): How we reduce PLASTIC in the office, at home and at school 
• Week 3 (July 15-21): The impact of PLASTIC on health 
• Week 4 (July 22-28): The role of REP in reducing plastic pollution 
• Week 5 (July 29-31): The global treaty on PLASTIC (Global Plastic Treaty) 

All guidelines for campaign structure and content are explained in this GUIDELINES For each of the weeks, interested persons will find access to informational resources, links to various video materials and access to visual resources already developed and accessible for dissemination.

The proposed activities are part of the project "Give up PLASTIC: Informed communities with less waste generated" implemented by the E-Circular Training and Consulting Center and supported by the National Environment Fund and the Swedish Embassy.