Debra Lee Norton Wear

Pinterest may want you to think that you need a cupboard full of matching mason jars, but reusing what we already have is one of the best ways to reduce our waste. This month, instead of recycling glass jars (such as pasta sauce, pickles, and salsa jars), I will save them to reuse for food storage.

Whenever possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags. I will either use my own reusable bags, or keep my items loose.

I cleaned out my pantry of all the food I have in excess and I donated it to the local woman’s shelter

I will do a cost benefit analysis of prices of laundry detergents both eco friendly and non eco friendly and examine efficacy or packaging for both

I switched to LED eco friendly Christmas lights that use 75 percent less energy

I switched to an eco friendly toilet cleaner that doesn’t use harsh chemicals ans is packaged in sustainable recyclable packaging

I walked to work weather permitting to save on gas and reduce my carbon footprint

I cleaned out all the pens markers and crayons and I am repurposing them for arts and crafts projects for my students

I will add stickers to windows and sliding glass doors to make them more bird friendly to reduce bird crashes into windows

I will add black out blinds to my windows because they are more energy efficient which is good for the environment

I will have Potomac Edison come out and replace my existing shower head with more energy efficient shower heads to help conserve water and maje water consumption more efficient

I spoke to the local Girl Scout troop to help them learn about composting

I hosted a neighborhood yard sale where we could declutter our homes and find items we could reuse or repurpose

I will take my car for regular maintenance to make sure it is running efficiently , meeting emissions standards and maximizing gas mileage

I will talk with my school To see if we can use the greenhouse to grow our own vegetables that we can consume

I will clean our closets and donate any clothes and or shoes that I am no longer wearing so they can be reused or recycled

I will look for towels made of either recyclable materials

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!

Cost benefit analysis of dishwasher detergents for packaging and pricing for eco friendly and nonecofriendly products

I will compete prices n packaging of tooth paste to see what is most sustainable

I will donate any unused books to schools and libraries or other literacy programs

I will find creative ways to deliver content to my students as I try to reduce paper use and number of copies in the classroom

I will compare prices n packaging of dog foods to see which are most eco friendly as well as explore cost of home made dog food using natural Ingredients

I will recruit three to five people to join the plastic fee July challenge

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

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.

In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.

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 30 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.

When available, I will purchase clothing and bedding made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.

When we wash our clothes, the heat and friction causes our clothes to wear down, releasing microfibers into the water stream. To combat and prevent these microfibers as much as possible, in addition to following best laundry practices, I will use a microfiber catcher in my laundry, or install a microfiber filter for my washing machine.

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.

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.

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.