Erika Murphy

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

I will replace 3 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.

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

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

If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

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.

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 use reusable dishes and silverware when eating at work.

I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

I will plant a herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.

I will keep 3 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 replace my disposable razors with steel razors.

Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.

When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.

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

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

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

I will spend 30 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 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 visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

I will spend 30 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

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

I will make the switch to sustainable, reusable period products.

I will swap out my single use plastic bags for a pooper-scooper.

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

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

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.