Sydney Madden

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

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 make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.

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

I will use reusable dishes and silverware when eating at work.

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

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

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

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

If traveling, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me in a TSA-approved reusable quart-sized bag.

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

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 teach my little ones about microplastics while we do a craft project together using glitter alternatives.

I will swap out 1 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

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

I will visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

Watch film "Smog of the Sea" to learn more about the impact of plastic in our oceans. Be inspired by the unique crew and see that anyone can make a difference.