As July marks Plastic Free July, we wanted to shine a spotlight on one of the four core principles behind Circular Kitchens: Plastic-Free.
Plastic is woven into almost every aspect of modern life, from takeaway packaging and coffee cups to supplier deliveries, food wrap, and cleaning products. Plastic Free July reminds us of something important: the power we all have as consumers to create meaningful change through small actions that, when multiplied by millions of people, have an extraordinary collective impact.
That belief sits at the heart of Circular Kitchens too.
What is Plastic Free July?
Plastic Free July is a global educational and advocacy movement led by the Plastic Free Foundation, encouraging people to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics through simple, achievable commitments. Since launching in Australia in 2011, the annual campaign has grown to include participants in more than 190 countries.
Rather than asking people to avoid all plastic overnight, Plastic Free July encourages participants to start with just one pledge. Whether that’s refusing plastic shopping bags, avoiding bottled water, choosing loose fruit and vegetables, or bringing a reusable coffee cup, the focus is on building habits that last.
Each pledge is supported with simple tips, resources, and inspiring stories from individuals, businesses, schools, and communities demonstrating that progress is possible.
The results show this approach works. The Plastic Free Foundation reports that participants have collectively avoided more than 15 million tonnes of waste, including 1.7 million tonnes of plastic, while 87% of participants make at least one long-term behaviour change as a result of taking part.
Why Plastic Deserves Its Own Principle
At Circular Kitchens, Plastic-Free isn’t simply one part of our Zero Waste principle. It is one of our four core principles in its own right.
That’s because plastic presents challenges far beyond waste alone.
Plastic production relies heavily on fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions before products even reach our kitchens. Once used, much of it is designed to be thrown away after only minutes of use. Even where recycling systems exist, they cannot keep pace with the volume of plastic being produced.
Truth is, plastic can only be recycled a couple of times before it has to be incinerated anyway, so calling plastic recyclable is frankly misleading. That’s why plastic kitchen products are a red line in our sustainable products catalogue.
Plastic accumulates in landfill, pollutes rivers and oceans, harms wildlife, and breaks down into microplastics that are now being found at alarming rates in our air, water, food, and the human body.
The Scale of the Challenge
The numbers show why this has become such an environmental, ecological, and public health crisis:
- More than 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally every year, with production expected to continue increasing.
- Approximately two thirds of all plastics produced are short-lived products that quickly become waste.
- Packaging accounts for around 36% of global plastic production
- Health-related economic costs linked to plastics are estimated to exceed US$1.5 trillion annually.
- In the UK alone, more than 3.2 billion takeaway coffee cups are thrown away every year. Because of their plastic lining, most cannot be recycled through standard recycling systems, and they can take up to 30 years to decompose.
*Data from WWF and the Sustainability Spotlight newsletter by Dr. Zainab Bibi of RTN Zero Consulting.
Recycling plastic cannot solve this problem, especially while plastic production continues to rise. The greatest opportunity lies in preventing plastic waste before it is created, by replacing plastic products with sustainable alternatives.
What Can Hospitality Do?
Hospitality businesses interact with thousands of customers every year, making them uniquely placed to help drive change.
Many of the most common single-use plastic items found in cafés, restaurants and pubs already have practical alternatives. Takeaway containers, disposable cutlery, condiment sachets, straws, cups, and supplier packaging can all be reconsidered as businesses move towards more circular ways of operating.
The choices made by hospitality businesses don’t just reduce waste within their own operations. They also help shape customer expectations, influence suppliers, and demonstrate that more sustainable practices are both practical and commercially viable.
Why We Start Here
That’s why one of the very first pledges on the journey towards 1-Star Circular Kitchens Certification is replacing customer-facing single-use plastics.
We chose this as an early milestone because it is one of the simplest and most impactful changes a business can make. It allows kitchens to build momentum, engage both staff and customers, and see tangible progress from the beginning of their circular journey. We also recognise that removing a product from procurement without a suitable alternative isn’t realistic. That’s why we support our members with a sustainable products catalogue, helping them identify lower-impact alternatives with confidence.
We also start here because we understand that we have no time to waste. From how it is produced to how it is disposed of, plastic is suffocating our planet. Around 90% of plastic is never recycled, yet production continues unchecked and is projected to triple by 2040. Research suggests we’re ingesting the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of plastic every week, and some estimate that, in fifteen years, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. (WWF).
This is exactly why we believe reducing plastic is one of the most powerful actions hospitality businesses can take.
Progress Creates Progress
Plastic Free July reminds us that meaningful change does not begin with perfection. It begins with one practical step.
The same philosophy underpins Circular Kitchens.
Every pledge completed builds confidence for the next. Every kitchen that replaces unnecessary single-use plastics helps shift expectations across the hospitality sector and society at large. And every business that joins the movement contributes to a food system that is more local, ecological, plastic-free, and zero waste.
Circularity isn’t achieved through one giant leap. It’s built through hundreds of practical decisions made every day.
What can you do next?
Take the Plastic Free July pledge yourself and discover how achievable small changes can be. Share your commitment to inspire others, and if there’s a café, restaurant, or pub you’d love to see become a Circular Kitchen, nominate them and help grow the movement.
