At Hive, we’re perfectionists. We want the best for you, your family, and the planet. Always. But here’s what we’ve learned: Doing better doesn’t mean being perfect. It means making choices – small ones, consistent ones – that move us in the right direction.
That’s what we love about Plastic-Free July. It’s not about guilt or shame or getting it all right. It’s an invitation to try. To notice. To swap one thing. Then another. Our ultimate goal this month is to help you feel good about the progress you’re making, not just for the planet, but for your health and peace of mind.
The Problem With Plastic (and Microplastics)
Let’s start with what plastic actually is.
Plastic is a synthetic material made from fossil fuels like crude oil and natural gas. It’s designed to last forever, which is kind of the problem. Since its invention in the early 1900s, over 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced. Only about 9% of that has ever been recycled. The rest? It’s sitting in landfills, clogging rivers, floating in oceans, or breaking down into tiny particles that we can’t see but still live with every day.
What Are Microplastics?
As plastic breaks down over time, whether from sunlight, heat, or friction, it doesn’t disappear. It just gets smaller. Microplastics are plastic fragments less than 5 millimeters in size (about the size of a sesame seed), and they’ve been found everywhere:
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In bottled water and tap water
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In sea salt, honey, fruits, vegetables, and fish
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In the air we breathe
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Even in human blood, lungs, and placentas
Yep. We’re literally carrying plastic inside us.
Why It Matters
For our health:
Early research suggests microplastics may cause inflammation, hormone disruption, reproductive toxicity, and even increase the risk of certain cancers. Because plastics can absorb and carry other toxic chemicals, they may act like tiny delivery systems for harmful substances inside our bodies.
For the planet:
Each year, over 8 million tons of plastic enter our oceans. Plastic has been found in the deepest parts of the sea. As a result, it entangles marine animals, leaches toxic chemicals into ecosystems, and takes hundreds of years (or more) to degrade.
Even “biodegradable” plastics can break down into microplastics under the wrong conditions. This means the only true solution is using less plastic in the first place.
We’re not here to scare you or guilt-trip you into hiding your hummus in shame every time you reach for a plastic lid. We’re here to remind you that change is possible, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The truth is, we can’t do it all. But we can do something.
We believe Plastic-Free July truly embodies this goal. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about progress. It’s your invitation to pause, rethink, and take a few small steps that really do add up, for your health, your home, and the planet we all share.
What Is Plastic-Free July?
Plastic-Free July is a global movement that started in 2011 with a simple question: What would happen if we all tried to use less plastic for just one month?
Launched by the Plastic Free Foundation, the campaign began as a small local challenge. Today, it’s grown into a movement with over 140 million participants in 190+ countries, all committing to reduce single-use plastic in their everyday lives.
The idea is simple but powerful:
- Less plastic in our homes, our landfills, and our oceans.
- More awareness, better habits, and progress that lasts beyond July.
Participants have collectively helped prevent over 2.6 million tons of plastic waste from entering the environment. That’s proof that small changes really can add up to big impact.
At Hive, we love that Plastic-Free July doesn’t ask for perfection. It simply asks us to care.
Doing Our Part (and Helping You Do Yours)
We know individual choices can’t solve a global problem, but they can help spark a different kind of future. At Hive, we envision a future in which products are made more thoughtfully, waste is designed out from the start, and doing better becomes the norm (not the exception).
We’ve spent a lot of time vetting brands using our Hive Five criteria. We love to see companies rethinking their packaging, sourcing responsibly, and keeping plastic out of their products.
To celebrate Plastic-Free July, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite plastic-free and low-waste products that are certified Hive Five and truly doing it right. Here are our picks:
