Michael Swoyer

The only thing worse than a single-use item is a zero-use item! I will use (and use up) what I already have in my home before buying something new.

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

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.

I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 45 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

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.

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!

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.

Get creative in the kitchen (or the garden)! Before tossing food scraps, I'll explore other ways to utilize the scraps and give them another life.

Greenwashing can fool even the most experienced eco-advocate. This month, I will spend 90 minutes learning what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and what I can do about it.

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 60 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

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.