C O'Donnell

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.

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 10 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

Just because something is past its "expiration date," it might not actually be expired! I will spend 10 minutes learning about the difference between best by, use by, and sell by dates and how to tell if my food is actually expired.

Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 10 learning about the dangers of balloons and find eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 10 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

I will spend 10 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

The numbers #1-7 on plastics tell us a lot - and can help us be better recyclers. I will learn what these numbers mean and which types of plastics are accepted for recycling in my area.

Each year, approximately 2% of all fishing gear used globally is lost to the sea, becoming "ghost gear" and continuing to impact marine animals. This month, I will reduce my seafood consumption and enjoy 2 vegetarian or vegan meals each day.

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

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 10 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.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

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.

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

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!

Does your savings account, retirement account, or investment account support the fossil fuel (and plastics) industry? This month, I will spend 10 minutes investigating where my investments (and where my bank's investments) are going, divest from the fossil fuel industry, and reinvest in ways that are more in alignment with my values.

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.

While most stores offer lenient return policies, what actually happens to all of those returns? I will spend 10 minutes learning about what happens to returns and how I can make better purchasing decisions to avoid returns in the future.

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.

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

Ditch the plastic jugs, artificial dyes, and harmful ingredients! When it's time to replace my current laundry detergent, I will switch to a natural laundry detergent that is packaged in glass or aluminum, or an alternative like soap nuts.

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.

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 10 minutes learning what the care symbols mean and laundry best practices to make all of my textiles last as long as possible.

Greenwashing can fool even the most experienced eco-advocate. This month, I will spend 10 minutes learning what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and what I can do about it.

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.

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

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.

Even just one to-go coffee or tea a week adds up to 52 trashed cups in a year! I will avoid sending 1 disposable cups to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or travel cup.

I will spend 10 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

Travel-size toiletries aren't just more expensive per ounce, they also have a higher plastic-to-contents ratio, and result in over 980 tonnes (2.2 million pounds) of plastic waste each year. If traveling this month, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me.

Our tax dollars are subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, making the cost of plastics artificially low and encouraging further plastics production. I will spend 10 minutes learning about oil subsidies and how I can advocate for their elimination.

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.

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

Even when advertised as "flushable" these wipes don't break down in sewer systems, but instead combine with fat to create massive clogs. This month, I will find alternatives to using disposable wipes.