Sara Payne
7/31/2021 2:03 PM
I can "vote with my dollars" by continuing to support the companies that chose to use alternative packaging.
Sara Payne
"I like animals"
Points Total
- 0 Today
- 0 This Week
- 706 Total
Participant Impact
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up to5advocacy actionscompleted
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up to5conversationswith people
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up to20plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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up to14pieces of plastic cutlerynot sent to the landfill
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up to12plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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up to1zero-waste mealsconsumed
Sara's Actions
Lifestyle
Buy Only What I Need
I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.
Food
Minimize Packaging
I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
Personal Care
Just Say No
I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.
Lifestyle
Travel Smart
If traveling, I will bring my own plastic free items (water bottle, grocery bags, collapsible food containers, utensils, straws, etc.) with me.
Community
Estimate My Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral
I will visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.
Community
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.
Personal Care
Back in the Bowl
I will purchase refillable beauty products.
Personal Care
Pretty oh so Pretty
I will purchase beauty products that are packaged in sustainable packaging.
Food
Buy Unpackaged Produce
I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging, making sure to wash them well before using them.
Food
Say No to Plastic Bags
If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.
Food
Start Composting
I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school.
Food
Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal
I will prepare 1 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.
Food
Use Reusable Utensils
I will keep 2 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.
Food
Skip the Straw
I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.
Lifestyle
Proper Bioplastic Disposal
I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.
Lifestyle
Watch a Documentary
I will watch a documentary film about waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.
Lifestyle
Homemade Cleaners
I will make my own cleaning products at home.
Lifestyle
Complete a Waste Audit
I will conduct a waste audit - including recyclables and compost - to understand how much waste I create and where I can reduce the most.
Community
Say No to Styrofoam
Throughout its life cycle, polystyrene (styrofoam) can harm people, communities, and the planet. I will refuse styrofoam whenever I can, making sure to kindly let people know why I'm asking for alternative packaging.
Community
Host a Watch Party
I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.
Food
Switch to Loose Leaf Tea
Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.
Personal Care
Pearly Whites
I will purchase toothpaste in an aluminum tube or in a glass jar or make my own!
Feed
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Reflection QuestionPersonal Care Pearly WhitesCurrently most of the packaging for toothpaste is plastic. How can you advocate for more alternatives through your purchasing power and influence in community?
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Reflection QuestionPersonal Care Back in the BowlWhy is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 2:01 PMIt is difficult to understand the impacts of our purchases because there are so many processes involved in the sourcing, creation, transportation, use, and disposal of a product. Participating in this challenge helps keep this fresh in my mind, which has a positive impact on my consumption choices. -
Reflection QuestionPersonal Care Just Say NoDo some research on polystyrene and polyvinyl. How many items in your house already contain these toxins?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:56 PMI'm sure that lots of items in my house contain polystyrene and polyvinyl, unfortunately. I really should just live in a cave. -
Reflection QuestionPersonal Care Pretty oh so PrettyHow can you advocate for the importance of reducing packaging to the rest of your friends, family and larger community?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:53 PMTalking to people helps, as does showing them through action. Writing letters, using social media, and signing petitions could help with advocating in the larger community. -
Reflection QuestionLifestyle Buy Only What I NeedAs 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?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:50 PMPeople really do not need that majority of the things that they buy. Even though it's not very easy for me, I will continue trying to reduce my unnecessary purchases. -
Reflection QuestionFood Minimize PackagingWith the added mindfulness of reducing your packaging, what have you noticed about the amount and type of single use plastics used for packaging when you shop in the grocery store?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:48 PMThey are everywhere! It is depressing, however, it does make me think a lot harder about whether or not I actually need that particular product at all. -
Reflection QuestionFood Switch to Loose Leaf TeaTake time to reflect or meditate over your plastic-free cup of tea. Share your thoughts and reflections with us here!
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:45 PMPart of the reason I enjoy tea is the process of making tea. It's kind of calming in a way, and measuring out loose tea into a compostable tea bag adds to that process. Loose leaf tea also makes me feel fancy. -
Reflection QuestionFood Skip the StrawHave you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:41 PMI do think that avoiding plastic straws has become a little more normalized. For example, today I went to a coffee shop that had paper straws, and when I've told people that I don't need a straw, I've heard things like "gotta save the sea turtles," etc. -
Reflection QuestionCommunity Say No to StyrofoamHow might styrofoam be an environmental justice and/or environmental racism issue in your community?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:38 PMI'm guessing that styrofoam can be an environmental justice/racism issue depending on where and how it is disposed of, or maybe because of potential health concerns associated with chemical leaching. -
Reflection QuestionFood Buy Unpackaged ProduceWhy do you think these produce products started amassing so much plastic packaging? Who is the plastic packaging really serving -- the consumer, the producer, or someone else?
Sara Payne 7/31/2021 1:32 PMI think produce is being wrapped in more and more plastic because people like that it seems cleaner. It's also possible that it protects the produce and results in less loss for the companies. If this is the case, plastic wrap beneficially reduces food waste, which is a contributor to greenhouse gases. So then there's the question of which avenue - less food waste or less plastic - ultimately results in the least harm. This is a very big and complex question, so I'm just going to go ahead and stop typing now so that I can answer the next reflection question.