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Adam Moen's avatar

Adam Moen

Cleveland Clinic

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,860 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    86
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    33
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    754
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    60
    minutes
    spent learning

Adam's actions

Kitchen

Give Veggie Scraps Another Life

Vegetable broth cartons are not easily recycled and often not accepted for recycling at all. To avoid or reduce my use of these cartons, I will save my vegetable scraps and fresh herb stems to make homemade vegetable broth instead.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Proper Clothing Care

All those symbols on our clothes, sheets, and towels actually have meanings! To ensure that I'm caring for my clothes properly, I will spend 30 minutes learning what the care symbols mean and laundry best practices to make all of my textiles last as long as possible.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Greenwashing Pro

Greenwashing can fool even the most experienced eco-advocate. This month, I will spend 30 minutes learning what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and what I can do about it.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Pearly Whites

Nearly all toothpaste tubes are made from multiple layers of different types of plastic and aluminum, making them impossible to recycle and destined for landfill. When it's time to replace my current toothpaste, I will replace it with a plastic-free option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Estimate Your Ecological Footprint

I will calculate my ecological footprint, and from the results brainstorm and take action on ways I can reduce my annual footprint.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Recycle My Tech

There's value in our old electronics! This month, I will properly recycle any old laptops, tablets, cell phones, or other electronics I have lying around so the raw materials can be reused and reduce demand for virgin materials - thereby also protecting critical wildlife habitat for animals such as gorillas and forest elephants.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Investigate Oil Subsidies

Our tax dollars are subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, making the cost of plastics artificially low and encouraging further plastics production. I will spend 30 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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

A Greener Shower

Most conventional shower curtain liners are made from polyvinyl chloride (or PVC), which contains chlorine, phthalates, and plasticizers, and typically need replaced often. When it's time to replace my shower curtain liner, I will replace it with a plastic-free option and research the best ways to care for it.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Plastic History Buff

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Learn about Plastic Production

Plastic production, not just disposal, pollutes communities and harms people. I will learn about the impacts of plastic production on humans, animals, communities, and the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Bathroom

See the Green

An estimated 50,000lbs (23,000kg) of contact lenses end up in sewage sludge in the US each year. This month, I will learn how to recycle used contact lenses and packaging or switch to wearing glasses instead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Eco Deodorant

Conventional deodorant tubes are typically made from plastics #4 and #5, which are rarely accepted for recycling - especially together. When it's time to replace my current deodorant, I will replace it with a plastic-free option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Dive Into Expiration Dates

Just because something is past its "expiration date," it might not actually be expired! I will spend 60 minutes learning about the difference between best by, use by, and sell by dates and how to tell if my food is actually expired.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Complete a Waste Audit

I will conduct a waste audit of my trash and recycling to understand how much waste I create and create a plan for where I can reduce the most.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Follow the Chasing Arrows

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 30 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

UNCOMPLETED
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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

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

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Family + Pets

Thrifty Pets

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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 60 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

Bathroom

A Sustainable Flow

Pads and tampons are typically made with plastics, and about 41 million pounds of menstrual products end up in landfills every year. This month, I will make the switch to sustainable, reusable period products.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.

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

Bathroom

Sustainable Suds

In the UK, the average person creates 512kg (1,129lbs) of waste in the bathroom over the course of their lifetime - 50% of which ends up in a landfill. As they run out, I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable options.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Print in Draft Mode

To extend the life of my ink cartridges, I will set my printer default to draft mode to use less ink or toner per print job.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Multiple Wears Before Washing

The simple, necessary, daily act of washing our clothes slowly degrades the quality of our clothes due to the friction involved in the process. To extend the life of my clothes, whenever possible, I will wear items multiple times before washing.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Rethink Returns

While most stores offer lenient return policies, what actually happens to all of those returns? I will spend 30 minutes learning about what happens to returns and how I can make better purchasing decisions to avoid returns in the future.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Save Jars for Reuse

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.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

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.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    Do some research on the toxic side affects of aluminum deodorant. After reading the side effects, can you think of instances where you may have experienced the side effects from this form of deodorant?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/22/2024 6:01 AM
    There seems to be a lot of debate on this topic. But the fact that most deodorant containers aren't recyclable is a really good reason why you should switch to a plastic free version.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Making veggie broth from scraps doesn't just reduce waste, it can also save you a ton of money! What are some of the ways you use veggie broth in your kitchen?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/22/2024 5:55 AM
    I like using broth to cook rice instead of just water. Gives the rice extra flavor which is nice.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How has embracing imperfection impacted your plastic-free journey?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/15/2024 6:07 AM
    It can be really hard to try and be perfectly eco friendly all the time. The important thing is that we are trying, not that we succeed. Cuz if everyone tries, that's better than no one trying at all.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/09/2024 7:39 AM
    I have been making a lot of homemade teas (mostly mint not going to lie). And it has been very fun and rewarding!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    Take a moment to estimate how many disposable daily contacts you may have used over the years. What would be your impact now of switching to a contact brand with a longer lifespan?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/09/2024 7:10 AM
    I never thought that contact lenses could be recycled and I was so happy to learn there is a location to do so only 15 minutes away from my home. My wife uses daily contact lenses and the waste will quickly add up. I can't wait to start recycling them instead of letting them go to a landfill. Since long term lenses always end up irritating her eyes she is stuck with daily ones-- so knowing we can recycle them is quite relieving.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study
    As you have reduced your spending, what have you noticed about your 'health and safety' purchasing habits? How might this change your longer term purchasing decisions?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/08/2024 6:40 AM
    There are a lot of items I buy that I find I never actually use despite thinking that I will. By taking a moment to really think about it, I can realize how much an item will actually be useful. This not only helps me save money, it helps my house from being too cluttered (because we love having thinks in our home and end up with a lot lol).
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    Currently most of the packaging for toothpaste is plastic. How can you advocate for more alternatives through your purchasing power and influence in community?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/05/2024 6:33 AM
    I can seek out companies that use more sustainable packaging and encourage family members to do the same. I always find if I am able to give them exact links, or buy them something as a present, they are more likely to continue to use the brand I suggest.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom
    In addition to helping clothes last longer, washing clothes less frequently also saves water by running the washing machine less often. As the climate and water situations change, what are some other ways both your household and our community could become more resilient?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/05/2024 6:32 AM
    If I owned my house I would love to find ways to reuse water through collecting and filtering rain water (for things like the toilet or showers). But right now, we usually focus on trying to reuse plastic bags, or using cloth bags, thrifting when we new items, and other strategies to reuse items.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Were you surprised by anything you learned about expiration dates in the US? Has it changed the way you make decisions around purchasing or discarding food?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/05/2024 6:30 AM
    I think understanding what foods you can and can't eat after the best by date is important in not just helping food waste, but it also helps on saving grocery money. It also helps me know what items I can get away with buying in bulk and what I can't.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community
    What have you noticed about your mental and/or physical health while going on daily walks? How has it affected other areas of your life?

    Adam Moen's avatar
    Adam Moen 7/05/2024 6:28 AM
    I find myself more motivated if I actually get a chance to enjoy nature that day. It's like a breath of fresh air-- literally.