DAVIDSON, N.C. — Do you think you could go an entire month without using plastic?
The town of Davidson is taking part in a global challenge called Plastic Free July, and the town is encouraging the community to participate as well.
It's in an effort to end plastic pollution by avoiding single-use plastics, which are defined by the U.S. Department of the Interior as products intended to be used once and discarded like food containers or disposable plastic bags.
The town said plastic pollution is interconnected with climate change and biodiversity impacts.
“The Davidson Plastic Free Challenge is a step towards creating a cleaner and healthier community and planet, but also a catalyst to inspire each other toward a plastic-free lifestyle,” town sustainability manager Kayla Kovach said. “By committing to reducing our plastic consumption and embracing sustainable alternatives, we can begin to move toward a future free from plastic pollution.”
Plastic Free July said the initiative has had over 100 million participants across 190 countries.
The United Nations Environment Program in 2023 found 46% of global plastic waste gets sent to a landfill. That number is higher for single-use plastic containers for foods and beverages: 85% of that ended up in landfills or as mismanaged waste, according to the UNEP.
Davidson community members interested in participating can register and get tips of how to cut down on single-use plastic through the town of Davidson's sustainability website. Those in the community who register to participate with the town will be entered into a drawing for a prize.