Andrew Fischer

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.

I will spend 20 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

I will talk to the owner or manager of a restaurant I frequent to request that they reduce their use of single-use and disposable plastics.

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

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 20 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

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.

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

If traveling, I will bring my own snacks and meals in my own containers to avoid the waste of take-out containers.

I will replace 10 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.

I will prepare meals at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

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

Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 10 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 20 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.

I will give a shout-out on social media to a local company, coworker, friend or family member for their plastic free or green efforts.

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

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

I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.

I will use a microfiber catcher in my laundry, or install a microfiber filter for my washing machine.

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.

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.

When available, I will purchase clothing and bedding made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.

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

I will swap out 10 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.