Community

Think globally. Act locally.

Healthy communities, healthy planet. Our individual actions have the power to make waves in our communities. Use this month to engage with your local community and create sustainable change. Think globally, act locally, and be an agent of change.

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Embrace Imperfection

Eliminating 100% of all plastic from our lives simply isn't possible. Throughout this month, I will embrace imperfection in my plastic-free journey while exploring and testing new ways to reduce my plastic footprint.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Embracing Imperfection

Imperfect sustainability

POV: All the unsustainable things I've done in the last week.

Zero Waste Mistakes: 10 Tips to Avoid Common Eco-Friendly Pitfalls
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DAILY ACTION
Go For a Walk

Science has shown that focused time in nature calms our over-worked frontal lobe and gives space for the areas of our brain associated with emotions, pleasure, and empathy to take over, providing a sense of calm that is measurable in brain scans and even blood tests. Each day this month, I will spend (___) minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

3 ways getting outside into nature helps improve your health

Lessons from nature

B.C. doctors can now prescribe national park passes to patients who need nature time

How does nature improve your health?
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DAILY ACTION
Keep My Community Clean

In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up (___) piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

The Importance of Picking Up Garbage

"I tried to pick up all the trash in my neighborhood."

What you can learn from picking up trash

5 Ways to Make Your Cleanup More Sustainable
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DAILY ACTION
Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How to Host a Cleanup

5 Ways to Make Your Cleanup More Sustainable

Where to find local trash cleanups

The incredible transformation of world's most polluted beach
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Support a Sharing Economy

While society often tells us we need to own everything ourselves, how necessary is that, really? Why spend money on something I'll only use once or a few times when I can borrow, swap, or share instead? This month, instead of buying new, I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

The Secret of the Sharing Economy

Never buy (or store!) a tool again with this renter-friendly resource

Buy Nothing Project

Revolution, evolution, and devolution of the sharing economy
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DAILY ACTION
Give Some Green Gratitude

Don't forget to celebrate the good! This month, I will give shout-outs on social media, my office's internal communication channels, or the Participant Feed to a local company, coworker, friend, or family member for their sustainable efforts.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Seven Benefits of Gratitude

7 Tips for Writing to Companies About Sustainability

15 tips to be a positive influence on others

The Power of a Fork: Does individual action really matter?
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Share My Actions

One of the best ways we can create change in our communities is simply by talking about it! This month, I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

The Power of a Fork: Does individual action really matter?

8 tips to deal with family and friends who don't "get" our eco-choices

How to talk to your friends and family about sustainability

How to talk to friends about climate change, zero waste, and sustainability
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DAILY ACTION
Host a Watch Party

I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

The 7 Best Documentaries for Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Living

11 Zero Waste Documentaries

The Plastic Problem

Plastic Wars
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Learn about Environmental Justice

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend (___) minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Environmental Justice ..... What does that mean?

Environmental justice, explained

"Pollution Is Segregated" Says the Father of Environmental Justice

Intersectional Environmentalist Resources
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend (___) minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Environmental Justice Screening & Mapping Tool

Race is the biggest indicator in the US of whether you live near toxic waste

EPA Environmental Justice Research

Earthkeeping: Toxic racism
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Become a Recycling Pro

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend (___) minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Video: Is Recycling Worth It Anymore?

How to Recycle Right

What is recycling contamination and why is it a big deal?

Why you're recycling wrong
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DAILY ACTION
Tour A Waste Management Facility

I will spend at least (___) minute(s) touring (virtually or in person) a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about our local waste and waste recovery streams.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Virtually Tour a Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

What happens to New York City's 3.2 million tons of trash?

What really happens to recyclable waste in the US

The garbage industry has outperformed the market since 2015. Here's why
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Write Letters, Emails or Sign Petitions

I will write or sign (___) letters, emails or petitions per day to advocate for plastic-free or planet-friendly policies.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How to get involved with local government

How to write a letter to your representatives

How local government can help communities go zero waste and plastic free

7 tips for writing to companies about sustainability
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DAILY ACTION
Pick Up the Phone

I will make (___) phone call(s) per day to a public official or company to advocate for planet-friendly policies.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How to call your representatives

How Communities Have Defined Zero Waste

How local government can help communities go zero waste and plastic free

10 Ways to be a Zero Waste Activist in Your Town
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DAILY ACTION
Advocate For Better Food Packaging

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Imagine a Supermarket with no Plastic

Top Sustainable Packaging Mistakes

The Rise of 'Zero Waste' Grocery Stores

7 Tips for Writing to Companies About Sustainability
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Advocate for Office Reusables

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Case Study: The Cost and Environmental Benefits of Using Reusable Food Ware in Schools

Why reusable dishware is the greenest option

Eliminating disposables at work

These businesses are saving thousands by replacing single-use plastic
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Kick the Habit

Each year in the US, nearly 14.2 million disposable vapes are thrown away, and cigarette butts make up 30-40% of all litter collected during annual coastal and urban cleanups globally. For both my health and the health of the planet, this month I will kick my smoking habit and advocate for better regulations around the sale and disposal of disposable e-cigarettes.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Vape Waste: The environmental harms of disposable vapes

Tiny but deadly: your butt on plastic

What's the world's most littered plastic item? Cigarette butts.
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DAILY ACTION
Take the pre-survey!

Help us make the Plastic Free Ecochallenge the best it can be! Take the challenge pre-survey (and look out for the post-survey at the end of the challenge!) so we can better understand the impact the challenge has and how we can improve in the future. Plus, you'll earn points for completing it! Thank you!
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Pre-Survey
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Share my "why"

I will record a 15-20 second video sharing why I am taking action for the planet.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Record a Video
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ONE-TIME ACTION
CREATE A CUSTOM ACTION

Ideally, you’ll choose at least one measurable goal so that you can measure your success but there are no limits on what you can choose—so exercise your creativity!

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