Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Shift your routines and model change in the spaces where you live, gather, and connect with others. These actions help reduce plastic in your everyday life while encouraging those around you to do the same.

Invite others to join the Ecochallenge

Our actions are more powerful when we take them together. I will invite someone to join the Ecochallenge with me so we can learn and take action together.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How to Talk to Your Friends and Family About Sustainability

How to Encourage Others to Care for the Environment
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DAILY ACTION
Swap ideas for reducing plastic with someone close to you

Sharing ideas helps us stay motivated and discover new ways to take action. I will share ideas with friends or family members about ways we each reduce plastic in our lives.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

19 Ways to Reduce Plastic in Your Life

How to Talk to Your Kids about Plastic Pollution

51 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use or Completely Eliminate It!
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DAILY ACTION
Celebrate someone else’s plastic-free effort

Positive reinforcement goes a long way in fostering sustainable change. I will celebrate someone’s effort to reduce plastic — whether big or small — by acknowledging their success in the feed or on social media and encouraging them to keep going.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

The Power of Social Support in Making a Positive Behavior Change

Using Positive Reinforcement to Influence the Behavior of Others

Seven Benefits of Gratitude
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DAILY ACTION
Catch microplastics in laundry before they spread

Washing synthetic fabrics releases tiny plastic fibers that end up in our waterways. I will install a washing machine filter or use a microplastic-catching device to capture microplastics before they leave my home — and I will share what I did and why with others to inspire more sustainable laundry habits.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Your laundry sheds harmful microfibers. Here's what you can do about it.

Guppyfriend Washing Bag

Cora Ball
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Give a small gift that helps someone reduce plastic (e.g., tote, bottle, soap bar)

Giving can be an act of change and inspiration. I will give a thoughtful, plastic-free or plastic-reducing gift — like a reusable bag, bottle, or bar soap — to someone in my life and share why I chose it.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

The Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Gifting

Plastic-Free Gifts

(Video 27:31) 150 Eco Gift Ideas
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Prep a reusable kit for on-the-go

Having reusables ready and integrated into your daily routine can help you avoid single-use plastic while out and about. I will put together a kit with items like a mug, water bottle, utensils, or tote bag to take with me when I leave the house.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

(Video 4:24) How to Create a Zero Waste Kit

Creating Your Zero Waste To-Go Kit
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Create a reminder system or routine for remembering reusables

Even the best intentions can be forgotten in the rush of daily life. I will create a system — like a note on the door or a checklist — to help me and others in my household remember to grab our reusables before we go.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Tips on Getting Better at Remembering to do Something

Tricks to Rememeber Your Reusable Bags When Shopping
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Keep my reusable kit with me and model it in public

My everyday choices can influence others. I will carry and use a reusable kit in public spaces, modeling plastic-reducing behaviors and showing that small changes are possible.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How Modeling Behavior is an Effective Way to Inspire Behavior Change

Creating Your Zero Waste To-Go Kit

(Video 4:24) How to Create a Zero Waste Kit
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DAILY ACTION
Pack a low or no-plastic lunch and talk about it with others

Food packaging is a major source of plastic. I will pack a lunch with little or no plastic and use it as a conversation starter with coworkers, classmates, or friends to share tips and inspire change.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

How to Pack a Zero Waste Lunch

Simple Plastic-Free Meals

How Modeling Behavior is an Effective Way to Inspire Behavior Change
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Prepare a low-plastic meal with a friend or family member

Reducing plastic can be easier — and more fun — when shared. I will plan and prepare a meal with friends or family that minimizes single-use packaging and plastic waste.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Simple Plastic-Free Meals

Plastic-Free Meal Plan

(Video 9:29) Zero Waste Grocery Shopping for Beginners
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Visit a local recycling center, landfill, or transfer station

Seeing where waste goes can change how we think about what we throw away. I will visit a local facility to learn more about the waste stream in my community and share what I learn with others and in the feed.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

(Video 4:58) Virtually Tour a Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

(Video 2:57) What Really Happens to Recyclable Waste in the US?

Online Database for Recycling Centers in the US
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Start a household challenge to reduce plastic

Change starts at home. I will create a fun challenge with my household — like using no single-use plastic for a day or swapping out a product — to make plastic reduction a shared goal.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Tips to Remove Plastic Waste from Your home

Insights from a Family's Month-Long Plastic-Free Challenge
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Make a room plastic-free with someone else

Transforming a space together can build momentum and spark conversation. I will work with someone else to remove or replace plastics in one room of our home or work place, such as the kitchen, lunch room, or bathroom.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste at Home

The Power of Social Support in Making a Positive Behavior Change
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ONE-TIME ACTION
Host or attend a clothing swap

Fast fashion is a major source of plastic pollution. I will organize a clothing swap with friends, neighbors, or coworkers to keep clothes in use longer, reduce plastic-based textiles, and build community.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Connect with Your Local Community to Swap and Share Items for Free with BuyNothing

Explore Freecycle Network where People Give and Receive Items to Reduce Waste

How to Set Up a Neighborhood Sharing Network
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ONE-TIME ACTION
CREATE A CUSTOM ACTION

Ideally, you’ll choose at least one measurable goal so that you can measure your success but there are no limits on what you can choose—so exercise your creativity!

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