Our tax dollars are subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, making the cost of plastics artificially low and encouraging further plastics production. I will spend 15 minutes learning about oil subsidies and how I can advocate for their elimination.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Keep My Community Clean
In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.
COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS
Kitchen
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!
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Bedroom
Catch Those Microfibers
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.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Kitchen
Visit the Butcher
I will purchase meats and cheeses from the deli counter or a butcher shop, and use my own containers to do so.
COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS
Kitchen
Meatless Meals
There are many benefits to enjoying meatless meals - including reducing our plastic footprint. Most meats and dairy products are packaged in plastic, so this month, I will reduce my animal product consumption and enjoy 1 vegetarian or vegan meals each day.
COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS
Bedroom
Declutter Sustainably
While it can be tempting to throw away (or drop off at Goodwill) any and everything that no longer brings us joy, there are so many options that are better for the planet! This month, I will declutter my home and properly dispose or re-home the things I no longer want.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Bedroom
Mend and Repair
We've all got it - that thing in the back of our closet we keep saying we'll fix "one day." I will make today that day by learning how to mend or repair ripped or broken items in my home - or by finding a local offering to do it for me.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Kitchen
Plastic-Free Produce Storage
Produce doesn't need to be stored in plastic bags to stay fresh! I will learn how to properly store my produce to extend its freshness without single-use plastic.
COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS
Bathroom
Homemade or Refillable Cleaners
Surface cleaners, glass cleaners, floor cleaners, oven cleaners, toilet cleaners...there's a whole lot of plastic waste involved in cleaning our homes - plus ingredients that can be harmful to aquatic ecosystems and our health. This month, I will make my own cleaning products or choose plastic-free, refillable options.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Bedroom
Clean the Dryer Vent
Every time we tumble dry our laundry, our clothes' lifespans get a little shorter. The lint trap is evidence of the shedding fibers and our clothes slowly losing their quality. The less time our clothes need to be in the dryer, the longer they'll last. So this month, I will clean my dryer's interior and exterior air vents to help the dryer work more efficiently (and extend the life of the dryer!).
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Bedroom
Recycling Textiles
Every single textile ever made will, at some point, become worn out - and dealing with that waste costs millions of tax dollars every year. I will spend 30 minutes learning about the different types of textile recycling and creating a plan for what I'll do with my clothes and other textiles when they are too worn out to use anymore.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
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?
I went on a walk with the pups and brought some grocery bags for trash. I wasn't expecting to fill 2 of them :/ Most of the trash was found in one location.
Guys! Our team is currently in 13th place, out of 144 teams [insert "wow" emoji]. That is incredible!! Let's keep the momentum going through the end of the month. We're in the final stretch!
Thank you to everyone who picked up trash during our parking lot clean this month! *On the 23rd, we picked up: -17lb trash -2.5lb recycling -1lb compost -0.3lb cigarette butts
*On the 11th, we picked up: -5lb of trash -3lb of recycling -1.2lb of compost -0.5lb of cigarette butts
*That's a total of: -22lb trash -5.5lb recycling -2.2 compost -0.8lb cigarette butts!
Last Wednesday, I bought some fresh lions mane mushrooms and broccoli greens from the Patterson St. Farmer's Market, in North Hill. Last night, I made these crab cake-style patties from the lions mane mushrooms, a recipe our External Affairs Caroline told me about! It's very delicious. The most time-consuming part is shredding all the lions mane, but it's also kind of relaxing. Here is the recipe: https://foragerchef.com/hericium-crabcakes/
Every day when I drive to and from work, I drive past a lot that has a bunch of trash on it. So over the weekend, I took the dogs for a walk and brought a grocery bag. It sadly didn't take long to fill the whole bag :/ The most common items there were styrofoam Polar Pop cups and plastic cups from takeout/fast food, like McDonalds iced coffee cups, etc. I did run into someone who thanked me and I explained that I don't mind picking up trash because I love our neighborhood and want people to appreciate it as much as I do! I'm hoping over time, to cause a ripple effect of people picking up trash in our area.
I spread baking soda around my sink by hand (sink was rinsed, so soda would stick) and then I used my white vinegar/water spray bottle and sprayed all of the baking soda. I let it sit for only 2 minutes and then used a cleaning cloth to clean it. The baking soda acted as a nice exfoliant in addition to providing cleaning properties. It only took a few minutes, smelled nice, and looked shinier than it ever has with any other cleaner! I already have a spray bottle with white vinegar and water at home, for cleaning windows, and I keep baking soda and cleaning rags, so I didn't have to buy anything. You should give it a try!
Game on! We challenged the Detroit Zoo to see who can get the most points by the end of the month and Detroit Zoological Society has accepted our challenge! We chose Detroit Zoo because they are a neighboring zoo that has Plastic Free EcoChallenge team close in size to ours.
Please note: Points must be accrued by 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, July 31 to count toward your competitions. Competition winners will be posted shortly after the event is complete.
We just got a set of new Tupperware that has glass containers with plastic lids. I really wanted glass with silicone lids, but couldn't find any sets that we can afford. The market online is flooded with plastic, even when I searched for plastic-free or eco-friendly Tupperware. But I decided to let go and accept that much less plastic is better than all plastic :)
The bookbag I use for work and traveling was starting to rip open where one of the straps connects to the top of the bag. I recently purchased some upholstery thread, to repair a gaping hole in our couch (thanks to the pups), so I used that to hand sew my bookbag since it's thicker and sturdier than regular clothing thread. I sat in the sun and sewed it yesterday, listening to the birds, and it was really nice and relaxing.
Hey, Team! As you get familiar with the challenges in each category, I wanted to point out two things. 1. You'll see a challenge in each category called "Embrace Imperfection". This is a major theme of the Plastic Free EcoChallenge this year. So often, those of us who want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle get overwhelmed by all the changes we need to make to be eco-friendly. As they say, "ignorance is bliss", and the more you know about sustainability and eco-friendly living, the more you notice the aspects of your life that are not sustainable or eco-friendly and you might feel like the workload is overwhelming! This may lead to to indecision and ultimately, no change happening. Rather than trying to tackle everything, EMBRACE IMPERFECTION. !! Let me say it louder for the people in the back, EMBRACE IMPERFECTION! If you can make one, just one change this year, it will make a huge impact! You may even cause a ripple effect by inspiring others to make that change. Changing habits is HARD to do. Just start with one little thing! If you're new to this, just start by learning!
2. On the challenge info boxes, you'll see a button that says "Learn More". If you click on that, a list of additional resources, curated by the EcoChallenge Team, will appear. The resources have been really helpful to me in past years, so I think they'll help you out, too!
Don't forget - YOU GOT THIS! Signing up for the EcoChallenge shows you have taken an action towards eco-friendly living and I appreciate that! Feel free to use this chat forum to share how you are completing challenges and your experiences with them - you'll even get more points if you do!
