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Every July, millions of people around the world participate in Plastic Free July, a global movement that encourages individuals, businesses, and communities to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics and make more sustainable choices. What began as a small challenge has grown into a worldwide initiative that has inspired more than 170 million participants across 190 countries to rethink their relationship with plastic.
The reason is simple: plastic waste has become one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time.
Today, the world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic every year, yet only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally. Meanwhile, an estimated 11 million tons of plastic enter our oceans annually, threatening wildlife, ecosystems, and even human health.
The numbers can feel overwhelming.
The good news? Meaningful change often starts with small actions.
This Plastic Free July, consider adopting a few simple habits that can reduce waste, conserve resources, and help protect our environment for future generations.
Did you know? A single plastic water bottle takes up to 450 to 1,000 years to decompose. In the United States alone, consumers throw away more than 60 million plastic bottles every day. One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic consumption is to carry a reusable water bottle.
Single-use plastic bottles are among the most commonly discarded plastic items worldwide. Investing in a durable reusable bottle can prevent hundreds of plastic bottles from entering the waste stream each year.
Bonus: You’ll likely save money, too.
Americans discard approximately 204 million plastic grocery bags every day, which translates to 74 billion bags annually.
Keeping a few bags in your car, backpack, or purse makes it easy to avoid single-use plastic bags during routine shopping trips.
It’s a small habit that quickly becomes second nature.
It is estimated that over 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags and sandwich bags are used globally each year, resulting in roughly 1.3 billion 2.7 billion disposed of every single day.
Consider switching to:
Not only do these alternatives reduce waste, but many last for years.
A surprising amount of plastic waste comes from product packaging.
When shopping, look for opportunities to:
Every purchase sends a message about the kind of products consumers want to see more of.
When most people think about plastic waste, they think about bottles, straws, or grocery bags.
But electronics contain significant amounts of plastic as well. The world generates roughly 68 million tons of e-waste each year. Of this total, approximately 19 million tons consists of plastics. This means millions of tons of plastics enter the global waste stream annually, with less than a quarter being documented and recycled.
Cell phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, chargers, and countless other devices can become environmental hazards if improperly discarded. In addition to plastics, electronics often contain metals, batteries, and other materials that should never end up in landfills.
Yet many of us have old devices sitting forgotten in drawers, closets, storage rooms, lost-and-found departments, and property-and-evidence rooms.
Instead of throwing them away, consider donating or recycling them through a responsible program.
At 911 Cell Phone Bank, donated devices are securely data erased using verified processes aligned with DoD NIST 800-88 Rev. 1 guidelines before being responsibly reused or recycled. This helps keep valuable materials out of landfills while protecting sensitive information.
Even better, donated devices go on to support survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence through law enforcement agencies and victim service organizations nationwide.
A phone that is no longer useful to you could become a critical connection for someone rebuilding their life.
Plastic Free July isn’t about perfection.
It’s about awareness.
It’s about taking a closer look at our habits and finding practical ways to reduce waste where we can.
Maybe that means carrying a reusable water bottle.
Maybe it means saying no to plastic bags.
Or maybe it means finally doing something with that drawer full of old electronics.
The important thing is taking the first step.
Because when millions of people make small changes, the collective impact can be extraordinary.
The 911 Cell Phone Bank (501(c)(3)) provides a 100% no-cost service to individuals, businesses, and agencies across the country to securely recycle electronic devices that are no longer needed, or that have been left behind in lost-and-found or property-and-evidence rooms. After secure data erasure, devices are provided to law enforcement and victim service agencies to assist victims of human trafficking and domestic violence through a self-sustaining program model.
Donate your unused and unclaimed items today at www.911cellphonebank.org
Call +866-290-7864 or email info@911cellphonebank.org for more information.
#CommunityImpact #DeviceDonation #TechForGood #RecycleElectronics #PlasticFreeJuly #911CellPhoneBank
911 Cell Phone Bank
2750 E Silver Springs Blvd
Ocala, FL 34470
© 2014-2025 The Charitable Recycling Foundation
The 911 Cell Phone Bank is an initiative of the Charitable Recycling Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID 20-5050475).