July 1 - July 31, 2023
Jaime Webster
"To reduce single use plastic use, including avoiding buying foods in excessive packaging, as well as spread the word to remind people that there are alternatives!"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 881 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO14conversationswith people
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UP TO9.0pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO1.0plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
Jaime's actions
Community
Advocate For Better Food Packaging
I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.
Community
Advocate for Plastic-Free Dining
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.
Community
Tour A Waste Management Facility
I will spend at least 10 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.
Community
Write Letters, Emails or Sign Petitions
I will write or sign 1 letters, emails or petitions per day to advocate for plastic-free or planet-friendly policies.
Kitchen
Minimize Packaging
I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
Bathroom
Pearly Whites
I will switch to a plastic-free toothpaste — whether purchased or DIY'd.
Community
Keep My Community Clean
I will pick up 2 piece(s) of litter each day.
Bathroom
Homemade or Refillable Cleaners
I will make my own cleaning products or choose plastic-free, refillable options.
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.
Community
Give Some Green Gratitude
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.
Study
Buy Only What I Need
I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.
Participant Feed
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Jaime Webster 7/31/2023 1:23 PMLast day! Upon reflecting on everything this month, I still feel that the biggest action we can all take against single use plastic is to advocate companies to own the responsibility. Major changes will only come from the producers - citizens currently have few plastic-alternative choices and that needs to change. Once plastic is created it is already a lost cause for the most part - its here to stay. We need to push companies to create more alternatives or just not use plastic packaging - through our purchasing power and by also uniting our voices by contacting companies directly. Governments and large non-profits can continue to pass bag & packaging bans so that companies are forced to reduce their plastic use. Let's push big businesses to create big changes across the globe!
https://ecocycle.org/our-programs/reducing-plastics/producer-responsibility-for-plastics/
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Jaime Webster 7/30/2023 6:45 AMJust bought plastic-free shampoo, conditioner & toothpaste- has anyone used these brands?
I used to use & love Habitat Botanicals shampoo bars but the company was bought by Pela (LOVE their compostable phone cases!!) and haven’t been available for purchase. Most shampoo bars make my hair oily, so hope I like these!
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Jaime Webster 7/29/2023 6:26 PMWent to dinner at a Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse - remembered to bring our reusable to-go container (SO much food!!), and remembered to ask for no straw in advance - even for people aware of the plastic-free lifestyle sometimes its hard to remember to be pro-active and stop the plastic before it comes to the table. There's been times that we've gone to dinner unexpectantly and forgot the reusable leftover container (ugh) and I've had to ask for foil for the leftovers, and SO many times they bring water right away and it has a plastic straw. *Sigh*....our society has SO far to go to change its ways.... -
Jaime Webster 7/28/2023 2:18 PMAnother great blog article! 10 Sustainable Alternatives You Might Not Have Thought Ofhttps://www.future.green/futureblog/10-sustainable-alternatives-you-might-not-have-thought-of?utm_campaign=Future%27s%20Friday%20Roundup&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=268193772&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Gkr2FyOE8oBn22UWGw07F8HKndgSy1tpfW2WF5CHv1rvh1mqPXibA-pJOk8kzkpl6RS98qMFdjztoyhgamGhTQMM99w&utm_content=268193772&utm_source=hs_email
The new fact I learned from this:Whether it’s Clorox wipes or makeup wipes, most wipes take around 100 years to disintegrate, creating microplastics that often contaminate our water supply-
Jaime Webster 7/28/2023 2:22 PMFor those of you wondering what Future is - its a credit card that gives you mooch cash back for environmentally friendly purchases. My electricty is delivered via BGE from Arcadia, a solar and wind energy company. By paying my electricity bill with my Future card, I get 10%!!! cash back! It's crazy amazing! Future will let you know which eco brands they support and where you can get the most bang for your buck.
Their tagline: More Cash. Less Carbon. The new FutureCard Visa® Debit Card rewards you for spending with a lower carbon footprint. Enjoy 6% cashback at our FuturePartners and 5% cashback on public transport, electric charging, bikes & scooters, renewed clothes, electronics & furniture and plant-based meat, dairy and eggs. See examples of high cashback. https://www.future.green/
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Jaime Webster 7/26/2023 2:43 PMJust came across this article which reinforces what many of us already know:
Experts Say Decades of Recycling Hype Has Backfired Dramatically
In two nationwide surveys in the U.S. that we conducted in October 2019 and March 2022, we found that people overlook waste reduction and reuse in favor of recycling. We call this tendency recycling bias and reduction neglect.
Producing and disposing of goods is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and a public health threat, especially for vulnerable communities that receive large quantities of waste. New research suggests that even when plastic does get recycled, it produces staggering amounts of microplastic pollution.
Given the scope and urgency of this problem, in June 2023 the United Nations convened talks with government representatives from around the globe to begin drafting a legally binding pact aimed at stemming harmful plastic waste. Meanwhile, many U.S. cities and states are banning single-use plastic products or restricting their use.
"Reduce, Reuse...then Recycle"! Read the whole article here: https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-say-decades-of-recycling-hype-has-backfired-dramatically -
Jaime Webster 7/23/2023 3:37 PMCame across a sad but not totally shocking statistic in a book I just finished, and it makes you think twice before purchasing that sugar-filled plastic bottle or plastic-wrapped treat:"In 2020, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle were named the world's top plastic polluters for the 3rd year in a row in 'Break Free From Plastic's annual audit. Coke bottles were the most frequently found plastic discarded on beaches, rivers, parks and other litter sites in 51 of 55 nations surveyed.A 2020 report by Tearfund found that these 3 companies and Unilever continue to sell billions of products in single use bottles and packets in developing countries, and they do this despite knowing that waste isn't properly managed in these contexts; their packaging therefore becomes pollution; and such pollution causes serious harm to the environment and people's health.In a sample of 6 countries: China, India, the Phillipines, Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria - Coca-cola created 8 billion bottles worth of plastic waste, which is burned or dumped each year in those countries alone. A staggering 91% of the plastic that was ever produced has not been recycled and has either been burned, put into a landfill or is simply still in the environment.In statements, all the companies affirm their commitments to sustainability and the environment. This is on the homepage, in July of 2022 of Coca-Cola: "Creating a world without waste: The interconnected global challenges of packaging waste and climate change have made this a focus for our business, and we are taking a hard look at the packaging we use and how we can drive change"."When I just now checked the Coca-cola website, it currently promotes increased recycling, when it's been PROVEN that recycling is not the answer....you cannot recycle plastic, you can only downcycle it!! It never goes away, only breaks down into smaller pieces. It is clearly not the solution. Spending $ on research to find non-fossil fuel based "plastics" or other alternative material containers is a much better solution IMO.
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Jaime Webster 7/16/2023 5:18 PMI had a win/fail this weekend that I’m sure most people can relate to - I walked to our Farmers Market with my cooler backpack to support local, when I arrived I realized I forgot my mesh product bags :-(
So the potatoes & apples went straight into my backpack, but the overripe cherries came home in a plastic bag. So close to plastic free….but the cherries looked SO good. Hopefully this will reinforce my reminder to always have produce bags.-
Patricia Jonas 7/17/2023 4:45 AM
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Jaime Webster 7/16/2023 5:13 PMI just learned about the app Clean Swell by the Ocean Conservancy- whether you’re participating in a group trash cleanup or just picking up trash yourself, you can log what you find on the app! -
Jaime Webster 7/01/2023 9:57 AMHappy Plastic Free July!
Today’s prizes from walking to the neighborhood Farmers Market…..plastic free & supporting local! 😋
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Debra Debra Lee Norton Wear 7/01/2023 9:39 PM -
Ginni La Rosa-Ponsini 7/01/2023 2:13 PMLooks great! My husband and I signed up for a CSA with a local farm, so he can pick up fresh plastic-free produce on the way home from work each week!
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Jaime Webster 6/30/2023 9:39 AMExcited to participate again this year!-
Debra Debra Lee Norton Wear 7/01/2023 8:38 AMI did a cost analysis comparison of detergent deodorant and toothpaste. In every instance the eco friendly sustainable choices were more expensive and in some cases twice as expensive.
I think the goal should be to find ways to make sustainable options more affordable so consumers Aren’t faced with the choice of saving money or being eco friendly. It shouldn’t be a choice -
Debra Debra Lee Norton Wear 6/30/2023 2:59 PM
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