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Lily Crozier's avatar

Lily Crozier

The Plastics

"Aiming to reduce my plastic consumption one Mean Girls reference at a time."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,126 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    6.0
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    disposable cup
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    23
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    160
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

Lily's actions

Study

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Try a New Recipe

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Numbers Everywhere

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Minimize Packaging

I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Kitchen

Choose Reusable Food Storage

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Clean Plate Club

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Pearly Whites

I will switch to a plastic-free toothpaste — whether purchased or DIY'd.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Sustainable Suds

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable options.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Plastic Free Lunch Boxes

I will only pack reusable cutlery, drinkware and containers in my family's lunches to reduce plastic waste.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Homemade or Refillable Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products or choose plastic-free, refillable options.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Better Gum

I will give up gum or choose gum made from chicle or other plastic-free gum bases.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Eco Detergent

I will use laundry detergent that is packaged in glass or aluminum, or an alternative like soap nuts.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study
    What did you learn about how plastic production impacts humans, animals, communities, and the environment? Which of these impacts specifically affects your community?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 9:15 PM
    I was shocked to learn that half of all plastic was produced in the last 13 years - I didn't realise plastic production was still climbing so quickly. I was also alarmed in my research to find resources advocating for single use plastics, published by the plastic production industry.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom
    Was this an easy or difficult swap for you to make? Did you have any concerns before making the swap?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 9:09 PM
    I haven't been able to make this swap - again because I haven't run out of my old detergent during the challenge and don't want to create more waste. My main concerns are the efficiency of eco detergents, and that they'll be appropriate on sensitive skin.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom
    How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 9:07 PM
    I try not to buy new clothes more than once every few months, and even then only retire clothes when they're unwearable. I tend to dress according to my personal taste, rather than sticking to fashions, which means I don't need to update my wardrobe as regularly.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How easy was this swap for you? Did you have any concerns before making it?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 9:05 PM
    I haven't managed to make the switch yet, as I haven't run out of my old soap. My main concern is somewhere to store a bar of soap hygienically, but I'll explore options for a ceramic soap dish and the swap should be easy enough.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    What are the economic and personal benefits of switching to bar soap/shampoo/conditioner or refillable bottle options?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 9:02 PM
    Refills are much more economical than buying bottles upfront. I do wish that retailers would make this option more accessible, and that there were options in store to refill without purchasing plastic refills.
  • 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?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 5:10 PM
    I haven't needed to replace my toothpaste this month - but this challenge prompt did lead me to research the amount of plastic in toothpaste, and not just the packaging. I didn't know about this before, and I was shocked to learn just how much many toothpastes contain plastic.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    What did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 5:08 PM
    I have not had the chance to replace my cleaning products this month - they have not run out and it would be worse for plastic reduction to replace them now. But I've been looking into plastic free options down the track, and will make the change when the time comes.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study
    What did you learn about your ecological footprint by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you? What are some ways you will take action to reduce your footprint?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 5:07 PM
    I was shocked to see how high my ecological footprint was. I did overestimate my impact on some questions to get a better idea, but I was especially shocked to see how much of an impact living alone makes on my footprint.

    • Joanna Caputa's avatar
      Joanna Caputa 7/30/2023 5:44 PM
      I was shocked at mind too. And here I thought I was living lightly on our planet.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study
    What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 5:06 PM
    Food waste used to be one of my biggest problem areas. I've been making an effort to stock up on plastic free food storage, and freezing ingredients more, and drastically reduced food waste through this month.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Since the restrictions that COVID-19 has required of our society, trying to use your own cup might present new barriers, as well as new opportunities for creative problem solving. How were you able to achieve success on this action? How can you make it a long-term habit?

    Lily Crozier's avatar
    Lily Crozier 7/30/2023 4:19 PM
    I don't often drink take away coffee, so I never used to use a keep cup, but I've started using my normal coffee mug when going to the cafe at work, and it's just as easy as using a take away cup.