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
Family + Pets
Balloons Blow
Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 30 learning about the dangers of balloons and find eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Kitchen
Is it trash...or a trash bag?
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.
COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS
Kitchen
Skip Plastic Bags
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.
COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS
Study
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.
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.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Bedroom
Ditch Dryer Sheets
Plastic sheets coated in softeners, lubricants, and fragrances, dryer sheets just aren't great for the planet or our bodies. Instead, I will use wool dryer balls or another plastic-free alternative to dryer sheets to keep my clothes static-free.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Kitchen
Use a Reusable Mug
Even just one to-go coffee or tea a week adds up to 52 trashed cups in a year! I will avoid sending 3 disposable cups to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or travel cup.
COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS
Bathroom
That Was a Close Shave
Who says we need 5 blades and a ribbon of shaving cream on every $5 razor blade cartridge, when a single blade causes less irritation and costs 92% less? This month, I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors.
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!).
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Bedroom
Practice Sustainable Fashion
I will spend 30 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Kitchen
Go Strawless
Each year, the International Coastal Cleanup reports that plastic straws and stirrers are one of the Top 10 most-collected items from their cleanups (top 5 in the US!). I will keep 2 plastic straws and/or stirrers out of the landfill each day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.
COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS
Kitchen
Whole Foods Meals
Prioritizing whole foods is one of the most effective ways to avoid single-use plastic in the kitchen, since most whole foods can be purchased without any packaging. This month, I will prepare 2 whole foods-based meals at home each day.
COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS
Kitchen
Fill a Water Bottle
Bottled water corporations make plastic bottles, not water. If the tap water in my area is safe for consumption, I will use a reusable bottle instead and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottles a day.
COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS
Bathroom
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
Study
Borrowed Books
The average paperback book has the same carbon footprint of driving about 7 miles (11 km) in an average car. Instead of purchasing new books this month, I will borrow books, e-books, and/or audiobooks from my local library or library-affiliated apps, or host a book swap with my friends.
We will not create a world without plastics because it is such a good material. But we can aim for a future without plastic waste and pollution. A globally coordinated approach is vital to this effort.
We need to transition to a circular economy that allows us all to reuse, recycle and reduce our plastic footprint. In a circular economy, materials would be effectively recycled and reused to create new products, reducing the impact of waste on the environment. Five years ago, WWF set an ambitious goal to see no new plastic in nature by 2030. And thanks to the efforts of millions of people like you across the world, we’re on track to meet that goal. At home, WWF is advocating for strong policies to tackle the problem of plastic pollution from both federal and state governments such as Extended Producer Responsibility.
Using recycled plastic to make clothing can help reduce waste and create new products. Some brands that use recycled plastic in their clothing include:
Patagonia One of the first companies to make fleece clothing from recycled plastic bottles
Ecoalf Uses recycled materials like ocean plastic to create sustainable fashion
Batoko Makes swimwear from recycled plastic trash that would otherwise end up in landfills or oceans
Mara Hoffman Uses recycled fibers and organic fabrics to make dresses and swimwear
Tentree Uses recycled plastic bottles or manufacturing waste to make recycled polyester, which can reduce CO emissions by up to 75%
Ellie Evans Uses regenerated nylon, called ECONYL, made from plastic waste like fishing nets, carpet, and industrial plastic
Veja Uses fabric made from recycled plastic bottles to make sneakers that are breathable, waterproof, and light
Most coffee shops are happy to fill your personal reusable cup instead of supplying a paper or styrofoam cup that they have to pay for and can’t charge you for. Many coffee shops (at least in the U.S.) will give you a small discount for using your personal cup
This commitment isn't just for show. Lego sees its core customers as children and their parents, and sustainability is fundamentally about ensuring that future generations inherit a planet as hospitable as the one we enjoy today.
So it was surprising when the Financial Times reported on Sept. 25, 2023, that Lego had pulled out of its widely publicized "Bottles to Bricks" initiative.
This ambitious project aimed to replace traditional Lego plastic with a new material made from recycled plastic bottles. However, when Lego assessed the project's environmental impact throughout its supply chain, it found that producing bricks with the recycled plastic would require extra materials and energy to make them durable enough.
I believe if Lego suspended the project, it was for legitimate reasons and not financial ones. I would like to think that they are going to find another way for this to work OR find an alternative.
I'm sad to learn this, but thank you for providing an explanation of Lego's decision. This highlights how much research we still need to fund to improve the process of plastics recycling.
The entire lifecycle of disposable cups, from raw material extraction to production and transportation, requires significant energy, contributing to environmental degradation,” Preetam Basu and Thanos Papadopoulos, professors at the Kent School of Business and co-authors of a 2022 report on coffee cup waste, said in an emailed statement. “The slow decomposition of disposable cups, especially those with plastic linings, can lead to the release of microplastics into the environment,” and on the off chance that your disposable cup winds up in waste bound for incineration, that process “can release pollutants into the air
The introduction of plastic bottles in 1968 made the packaging of larger water volume possible, including 1.5-liter bottles, the most popular size today in many countries. In the late 1960s, Perrier, with its signature small green bottle, further transformed the industry through the use of mass advertising.
Balloons contribute to our plastic pollution problem. Although balloons only take moments to release, they could take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Over time, these balloon pieces get smaller and smaller and eventually turn into microplastics. Balloons also harm marine life because they're often ingested by animals.
Over 99% of plastic is made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels account for over 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions, meaning fossil fuel generated plastics are directly tied to increases in greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Alyssa Tyree 7/27/2024 2:20 PMI believe if Lego suspended the project, it was for legitimate reasons and not financial ones. I would like to think that they are going to find another way for this to work OR find an alternative.
Mary Hanks 7/27/2024 12:47 PMI'm sad to learn this, but thank you for providing an explanation of Lego's decision. This highlights how much research we still need to fund to improve the process of plastics recycling.
Noelle Stobbe 7/23/2024 2:59 PM
