Julia Garcia

I will spend 25 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

I will paint rooms in my home with low/no VOC or natural paints.

Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 15 learning about the dangers of balloons and find eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.

I will conduct a waste audit - including recyclables and compost - to understand how much waste I create and where I can reduce the most.

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

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

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

I will use wool dryer balls or another plastic-free alternative to dryer sheets to keep my clothes static-free.

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

I will spend at least 25 minute(s) touring (virtually or in person) a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about our local waste and waste recovery streams.

I will spend 25 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 pick up 15 piece(s) of litter each day.

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 30 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.