Dave Keliher
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 875 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO62plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO50disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO64pieces of plastic cutlerynot sent to the landfill
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UP TO57plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO54plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
Dave's actions
Kitchen
Fill a Water Bottle
Bottled water corporations make plastic bottles, not water. If the tap water in my area is safe for consumption, I will use a reusable bottle instead and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottles a day.
Kitchen
Go Strawless
Each year, the International Coastal Cleanup reports that plastic straws and stirrers are one of the Top 10 most-collected items from their cleanups (top 5 in the US!). I will keep 3 plastic straws and/or stirrers out of the landfill each day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.
Kitchen
Is it trash...or a trash bag?
The plastic industry has convinced us that some plastic bags are "trash bags," while others are just "trash." Instead of throwing empty bags away (such as bread bags, pet food bags, etc.), I will reuse them as trash bags.
Kitchen
Switch to Loose Leaf Tea
Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.
Kitchen
Use What You Have
The only thing worse than a single-use item is a zero-use item! I will use (and use up) what I already have in my home before buying something new.
Kitchen
Use a Reusable Mug
Even just one to-go coffee or tea a week adds up to 52 trashed cups in a year! I will avoid sending 5 disposable cups to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or travel cup.
Kitchen
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.
Kitchen
Use Reusable Utensils
Whether I'm at work, on the go, or having food delivered, I will keep 7 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.
Participant Feed
Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.
To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?
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Dave Keliher 7/12/2024 9:51 AMHow to live without plastics for a month, according to the founder of a global movement
I borrowed this from National Public Radio. After I post this I will return it.
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/12/nx-s1-5021545/plastic-free-july-sustainability-tips
What would a month without buying any new single-use plastic products look like?
It’s a tall order for many Americans, who go through about five pounds of plastic a week, according to Oxford University’s Our World In Data. Most of that plastic will end up in a landfill and take anywhere from 20 years to centuries to decompose.
This level of plastic waste inspired the Plastic Free July movement, which aims to engage individuals to reduce single-use plastic consumption as well as push for systemic change.
Rebecca Prince-Ruiz founded the movement in 2011 after touring a local recycling facility in Western Australia. Seeing the mountain of plastic her town generated made her understand the need to create less of it in the first place. The following month, she and her coworkers cut single-use plastics from their lives. Millions have undertaken the same challenge in the years since.
Going plastic-free made Prince-Ruiz build new habits in little ways she hadn’t anticipated. Sitting down to drink coffee at a cafe rather than downing it from a plastic cup while commuting made her more mindful. Making garlic bread from scratch instead of buying a frozen bag became a way to spend time with her son.
“I think plastic, in some ways, is a symbol of how busy we've become; of the throwaway society that we've become,” Prince-Ruiz said.
So how can someone prepare for a plastic-free July?
Prince-Ruiz recommends carrying a “plastic-free kit” with you in your work bag, gym bag, car or bike for leftovers or fast food.
For people doing Plastic Free July for the first time, Prince-Ruiz recommends not trying to change everything all at once.
“Use what you have, do what you can, don't focus on what you can't,” she said.
The changes that stick are the ones that work well with your current lifestyle, which is why doing too much too fast can lead to burnout.
Prince-Ruiz also recommends doing the challenge with friends.
She says that a good place to start is looking in your trash can, refrigerator and pantry to review the types of waste you’re creating — and looking for alternatives from there.
Trying to cut plastic use isn’t easy or an option for everyone, Prince-Ruiz warns. It can require more planning, more time and in many cases, more money.
Still, individual actions can have an impact: Last year, she estimates 89 million people worldwide participated in Plastic Free July (though some may have signed up for just a week or a day), reducing over 500 million pounds of household single-use plastics.
Over the past decade, Prince-Ruiz has seen an increased appetite to reduce plastic.
“There's so many community groups and NGOs working on this issue that this groundswell of community change has started to put pressure on business and government, and we're starting to see systemic change,” Prince-Ruiz said. “So I think we've come a long way. We still have so far to go.”
Prince-Ruiz and people around the world trying for a plastic-free July will have some company
I’ll be joining them starting tomorrow, for a week. Here’s my game plan:
♻️ Cut out online shopping and food delivery;
♻️ Fill my own containers in the bulk section of my grocery store;
♻️ Carry a kit in my tote bag whenever I leave the house;
♻️ And replace single-use plastics with plastic-free alternatives if any run out.
If it’s impossible to buy a plastic-free alternative for an item such as string cheese, granola bars or potato chips, I’ll attempt to make it myself. Plus, having snacks on hand will hopefully help me avoid food delivery and fast food — as well as all of the plastic they bring.
Going plastic free could be easier for me than it would be for many Americans. I live in Washington, D.C., within walking distance of a grocery store that sells food in bulk — which isn’t the norm across the country.
At the end of this experiment, I’ll bring all of my plastic waste into the studio and report back on the costs, challenges and benefits. I’ll be back on Morning Edition on July 26 to talk about my plastic-free week.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that some participate in Plastic Free July for varying lengths of time. It has also been updated to reflect how long Morning Edition producer Claire Murashima will participate.
This story was edited for broadcast by Ally Schweitzer and edited for digital by Obed Manuel.
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Kristina Scott 7/12/2024 10:38 AMGreat post!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONKitchen Embrace ImperfectionHow has embracing imperfection impacted your plastic-free journey?
Dave Keliher 7/02/2024 2:01 PMOh my. I misread this. I thought it was about embracing perfection. I can so relate to that. I think I had best reflect some more before I dig any deeper. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONKitchen Use What You HaveBesides the economic benefits of using the things we already own, how can this practice impact our lives in other ways and influence the way we interact with "things"?
Dave Keliher 7/01/2024 10:06 AMIt can save the planet. Or at least a small part of the planet. Janet. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONKitchen Is it trash...or a trash bag?It's only "single-use" if it's only used once! What are some other creative ways to reuse unavoidable "single-use" items?
Dave Keliher 7/01/2024 10:05 AMI thought this was multiple choice. If it was multiple choice, I would have selected B for Best Answer