Teen L.E.A.D.E.R.S.

Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences

30 Day Plastic Challenge Complete!

Howdy everyone!

It’s Shauna Dauderman again, here to tell you about the outcome of my 30 Day Plastic Challenge where I went “single-use plastic free” for thirty days.  

I nicknamed my 30 Day Plastic Challenge “30DPC.” In a nutshell, I challenged myself to go 30 days without any single-use plastic (plastic water bottles, bags, food wrappers, etc.)

July 30^th marked the final day of the 30DPC and it was a success!

That’s right; I went thirty days without ANY single-use plastic. That means I didn’t use any plastic water bottles, plastic utensils, plastic bags, or consume any food that was packaged or wrapped in plastic.

Many of you are probably wondering how I went thirty days without any single-use plastic. Let me just say that one doesn’t have to be a superhero/zoo employee extraordinaire in order to reduce their plastic use- anyone can do it armed with the right information.

That being said, here are some tips on how to be single-use plastic free:

BUYING FOOD: Like any superhero/zoo employee extraordinaire, one needs brains and planning at her/his disposal in order to shop plastic-free! Just think about all the heavy plastic packaging on the items you buy at big warehouse stores….Let me just say that knowing where to buy plastic-free items made the challenge much easier. I had better luck at smaller, independent grocery stores and farmer’s markets than at larger chain stores.

THE RIGHT STUFF: Having the right equipment at all times is absolutely essential. To stay hydrated while doing superhero-related activities, keep a reusable canteen or tumbler with you at all times! In addition to tumblers, I used a Brita water filter to purify my tap water instead of buying bottled water.

 
Also, always carry a few canvas bags in the trunk of your superhero-mobile, or get one of those nifty ones that fold into their own tiny case for your purse, pocket or backpack. You never know when you need to run into the store for something quick! There were instances where I had to carry more than seven items out to my car because I forgot my canvas bags and refused to use plastic. That being said, having a stash of reusable bags with you is never a bad idea. Carrying a set of metal utensils also makes a big difference. This superhero loves to go out for ice cream after a long day of superhero-ing, so having a metal spoon in my bag prevented me from using the plastic spoons that most ice cream parlors offer.

After mastering the tricks of the trade, being single-use plastic free became second nature to me.

I didn’t realize how dependent I was on plastic until I challenged myself to go thirty days without it. While I did go without some things (like Advil and granola bars) to make a point, some of my plastic-free habits will stick with me (like using tumblers and canvas bags instead of plastic bottles and plastic bags).I got creative with it, talked to lots of people about it (random fast food employees included), and rejoiced over accomplishing a goal very near and dear to my heart.

So, everyone, flex your superhero powers and see how well you can do! Are any of you up to the challenge?