Yasmine Semeniuk

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

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 not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 5 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

If traveling, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me.

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 7 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

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

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 5 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

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

I will hang-dry my laundry to use the sun as a natural bleach alternative, or use another natural bleach alternative.

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

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.

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.

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

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

I will swap out 3 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 5 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 make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.

I will pick up 3 piece(s) of litter each day.

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

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 5 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

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.

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

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 5 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

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