Header image: Pure Bulk Foods, Ettalong
Plastic Free July is back, which means it’s time to look at the single-use stuff we reach for without thinking.
The good news? The Central Coast is an ECO Destination-certified region with plenty of local businesses, markets and makers offering plastic-free swaps, so you don’t have to overhaul your entire life to make a dent. Start with one easy swap, then build from there.
How to reduce waste during Plastic Free July
The easiest way to reduce plastic waste is to focus on the things you use every day. Here are a few practical swaps to try on the Central Coast.
1. Bring a reusable coffee cup
Your morning coffee is one of the easiest places to start. Disposable coffee cups might look like paper, but most are lined in a way that makes them tricky to recycle. Central Coast Council has confirmed they go to landfill, not the yellow recycling bin.
The swap is simple: bring a keep cup, dine in, or borrow a mug if your cafe offers one.
Some great local examples: Burnt Honey Bakery in Copacabana and The Ducks Brew in Booker Bay encourage customers to borrow (and return!) one of their mugs instead of using paper cups. At Neville (the coffee cart cafe inside Narara Ecovillage), the cups, plates, bowls, cutlery and serviettes are all washable, and residents often use takeaway china they return later.
Hot tip: keep one cup in the car and one at work. Because relying on future-you to remember things before coffee is bold.
2. Shop loose where you can
Plastic-free groceries sound like a big mission – but it basically means buying loose produce, refilling containers and avoiding all the little bags within bags.
For pantry staples, try Pure Bulk Foods in Ettalong for BYO-container refills like grains, flours, nuts, snacks, spices and oils. Narara Ecovillage Village Pantry is another option, with bulk dry goods, cleaning and bathroom essentials, local honey and produce from the village community garden.
For fruit and veg, try buying direct from local growers and markets. The FIG Co-op in Ourimbah runs a weekly organic food box system and fresh food market, connecting Coast locals with local and organic produce. Central Coast Farmers Market, Fanelli Organics, Alan Foods, Little Feet Gourmet and The Egg Shed are also brilliant, depending on where you live and what’s in season.
Bring your own shopping bags and a few reusable mesh produce bags. They weigh next to nothing and stop the slow creep of tiny plastic bags taking over that one kitchen cupboard (you know the one).
Sustainable tourism on the Eco-Certified Central Coast
3. Fix the school lunchbox situation
If you’ve got school-aged kids, you know the lunchbox can be a daily plastic factory. A bento-style or stainless-steel lunchbox with compartments means you don’t need any wrapping at all. They cost more upfront than cling wrap, but last longer and work out cheaper.
The other easy switch is a reusable water bottle. The Central Coast has good tap water, and an insulated bottle keeps it cold through the day.
4. Take your own bag to the bakery
One of the more annoying plastic offenders is fresh bread – most loaves go straight into a plastic bag whether you like it or not.
Reusable bread bags are a simple fix.
Aussie Bread Bags, based in Avoca Beach, makes reusable cotton bread bags designed for transporting and storing bread. Keep one in the car or your bag of bags so you don’t forget.
5. Swap one bathroom product
Don’t redo your whole routine. Swap one product when it runs out.
- Body wash → soap bar
- Bottled shampoo → shampoo bar
- Bottled skincare → refillable packaging
- Disposable razor → safety razor (the blades are recyclable and the handle lasts indefinitely)
- Disposable cotton buds → reusable or compostable option
Start with soap for a low-effort win. The Little Oasis Bath Co is a Central Coast business selling handmade soap bars with plastic-free packaging, plus sustainable and zero-waste soap dishes.
Azur Pure offers refillable face wash, moisturiser and body lotions in glass and aluminium, with empties returned freepost to be sanitised and reused.
6. Build a grab-and-go plastic-free kit
Most of us know what to do. We just need the right things handy:
- Reusable coffee cup
- Water bottle
- Shopping bag
- Mesh produce bags
- Reusable cutlery
- Container for leftovers or takeaway
Ettalong-based #untrashy stocks bamboo cutlery, reusable straws, produce bags, beeswax wraps and other handy alternatives to single-use plastic.
7. Swap, repair or op shop before you buy new
Fast fashion has a plastic problem too, from synthetic fibres to plastic packaging. Buying secondhand reduces demand for new items and keeps good stuff in use for longer.
Your local Vinnies or Salvos are a solid starting point, or head to Fairhaven Shopping Village for secondhand clothing, homewares, furniture and more that supports people with disability on the Central Coast.
Coast Swap’s community clothes swap is another clever way to refresh your wardrobe without buying new – and their next swap is happening on Saturday 25 July from 11am–1pm at Gosford Regional Library.
Local markets, car boot sales and Facebook Marketplace are also worth a look for preloved, handmade and upcycled finds.
For kids’ stuff, keep an eye out for dedicated preloved markets like My Kids Market Central Coast, which run a couple of times a year and give families a place to buy, sell and swap clothes, toys and gear.
And if something’s broken, see if it can be repaired before it goes in the bin. Initiatives like Central Coast Repair Cafe help locals fix household items, electronics, clothing and small appliances rather than replacing them.
The Central Coast op shops you simply must visit
8. Grow something, even if it’s tiny
Growing even a little of your own can help reduce the number of packaged things you buy over time, and it’s easier than it sounds. If you’ve got a garden bed, a few pots or a sunny balcony corner, start with herbs – they’re an easy (and versatile) gateway.
It’s all about small swaps that add up
Not every change needs a full strategy behind it, and Plastic Free July works best when it fits into real life. School runs, work lunches, beach walks, last-minute dinners and supermarket dashes. That’s where the habits either stick or fall apart.
Plastic Free July is only one month, but the best changes are the ones you’re still doing months later.
20+ epic markets across the Central Coast
Get involved, Coasties
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What is the easiest Plastic Free July swap?
Bring a reusable coffee cup or water bottle. You use them often, they’re simple to carry, and they replace single-use items straight away.
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Where can I shop plastic-free on the Central Coast?
Try bulk food stores, farmers markets, local produce boxes, farm gates and reusable product stores. Pure Bulk Foods, Narara Ecovillage, FIG Co-op, Central Coast Farmers Market and #untrashy are good places to start.
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How do I reduce plastic in school lunchboxes?
Use a compartment lunchbox instead of cling wrap or ziplock bags, buy fewer individually wrapped snacks, pack a reusable water bottle, and keep a few small containers handy for yoghurt, crackers, fruit and leftovers.
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Do disposable coffee cups go in the recycling bin on the Central Coast?
No. Disposable paper cups, including coffee cups, are not accepted in the Central Coast yellow-lid recycling bin. Bring a reusable cup, dine in, or choose a cafe that offers a borrow-a-mug option.
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What are the best Plastic Free July events on the Central Coast?
Look for clothes swaps, repair initiatives, farmers markets and community sustainability events. In July 2026, Coast Swap is running a Community Clothes Swap at Gosford Regional Library, and Central Coast Repair Cafe is operating at Terrigal Uniting Church.
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What should I do for Plastic Free July if I’m just starting?
Pick one daily habit and make it easier. Coffee cup. Grocery bags. Lunchbox wraps. Bathroom soap. Takeaway cutlery. Once that swap feels normal, add another.
The official 2026 Plastic Free July calendar of ideas is a great way to get the whole family involved.
The local youth worker helping Coastie kids reconnect with school
