Margo Ashmore

"Many environmental problems and solutions are intertwined, so you may see me appearing to stray off the subject of lessening the prevalence of single-use plastic. But I promise I'll try to tie it back to the challenge. A creative constraint, if you will. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
924 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

18

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

23

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

5.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

0.7

pounds

waste avoided
UP TO

1.2

pounds

packaging waste avoided
UP TO

3.0

advocacy actions

completed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

110

minutes

spent learning

Margo's actions

Food

Stop Buying Water

I will stop buying water and instead use water from the tap or invest in a water filter if water quality is a concern.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

SUPPORT BUSINESSES PARTICIPATING IN MNIMIZE

MNimize works to reduce single-use plastic at food service businesses. I will visit a participating location or tell a business I frequent about the resources available to them.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

On-the-go

Assemble a Zero Waste Kit

I will assemble and/or use a to-go bag with cloth napkins and reusable utensils, containers, and cups to avoid disposable to-go containers and cutlery for 1 of my household members.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will avoid 1 plastic bags each shopping trip by not bagging my produce or using reusable produce bags.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Learn about bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastic

I will learn about what different descriptions and marketing terms mean when used on plastics.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

On-the-go

Recycle at Work

I will recycle my plastic containers at work, and if I can't find a recycling bin I'll bring the item home with me.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Swap the Snacks

I will swap 3 prepackaged snacks for unpackaged fruits or veggies or homemade or bulk items each time we need more.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Put compostable plastics in the right place

I will make sure any BPI-certified compostable plastic products I use will be disposed of correctly by putting them in my curbside compost/food scraps bin or taking them to a drop-off location and not placing them in the regular recycling.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Plastics 101

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary film about plastic waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Extend the Life of Electronics

Manufacturers want you to replace your phones every year. I will keep my phone for at least 3 years and make any necessary repairs or updates to keep it functioning as long as possible.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Margo Ashmore 2/28/2025 5:29 AM
- 28-DAY STREAK
Last night I volunteered for Reuse Minnesota at the Finneas concert and learned about REVERB, which helps musician tours cut their single-use waste. Nice way to end the Plastic-Free Challenge month!

Read More
- Michelle B 2/28/2025 5:53 AM
  - 24-DAY STREAK
  That's awesome, Margo! I'll lookup REVERB and into volunteer opportunities with Reuse Minnesota.
  
  Read More
Margo Ashmore 2/26/2025 8:00 PM
- 28-DAY STREAK
I remembered to bring a to-go container to the restaurant Tuesday night after choir practice, so I could save a lunch-sized portion to enjoy today. Several people commented that it's a good idea. Hope I made an impact in what they will do going forward.

Read More
- Katherine Boyce 2/28/2025 11:40 AM
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  That's a good idea. I think I may need to start bringing a container with me regularly when I'm out and about, there have been a few times recently when I wished I had one!
  
  Read More
Margo Ashmore 2/23/2025 2:47 PM
- 28-DAY STREAK
I've been deliberately buying products in glass that have the ideal shape for storing leftovers - wide mouth jars of various sizes. I wonder if some enterprising manufacturer would ever sell an assortment of metal jar lids to replace the most common, most advantageous sizes. I've been using some of my jars for years. If something gets moldy in a jar, I clean it and put it in recycling. There's always a new jar to take its place.

Read More
- Katherine Boyce 2/23/2025 4:06 PM
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  My favorite are the wide-mouth dill pickle jars.
  
  Read More
Margo Ashmore 2/22/2025 10:26 AM
- 28-DAY STREAK
I'm eating healthier overall since I stopped the chip habit - actually I haven't completely weaned off of chips, but I make a point of not getting the multi-layer foil kind or anything less than a family-size package which can be used for collecting garbage. I'm less rigid about what is a snack vs. a meal, and eat leftovers whenever I'm hungry, just smaller portions. I'd like to do some research on (not sure what they are called) plastic packaging on a rigid cardboard backing - how a lot of items are displayed in retail stores. From what I gather, the plastic is of a type that doesn't have a market, it's contaminated with the cardboard (and vice-versa) and the dimensions are so variable. Discuss!

Read More
- Margo Ashmore 2/22/2025 7:40 PM
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  I'm thinking more of like if you buy a 12 pack of AAA batteries - the batteries show through the plastic, but they hang on the display from the cardboard backing. The really annoying ones are all plastic with a cardboard insert printed with the promotional/instruction material. You have to have a scissors or knife to get at the product.
  
  Read More
- Katherine Boyce 2/22/2025 6:45 PM
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  Do you mean the little clear window on, say, pasta boxes? Neil told me that's usually made of cellulose. But I'm sure it varies!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

What maintenance steps do you take to keep your electronics in good working order?
Margo Ashmore 2/21/2025 5:12 AM
- 28-DAY STREAK
Not sure where I learned this - there's a feature on my phone that stops charging when it reaches 80%, to preserve battery life. At first I was skeptical, but I have found that I don't run out of power. (I used to be concerned if I dropped below 50%.) When I first got my phone I inquired about how the battery gets replaced - the sales person shrugged and said "you don't, you have to get a new phone." Hopefully with right to repair laws gaining momentum that could be fixed by the time my battery wears out. Might have to get a new phone but the ability to replace battery will be top feature on my list.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
On-the-go

What items do you keep in your kit? What steps have you taken to help make this a habit and remember to bring your kit with you?
Margo Ashmore 2/20/2025 5:16 AM
- 28-DAY STREAK
Depending on where I go and what meal I anticipate - plastic cutlery (washed from previous use) in case I lose it, light-weight plastic plates - 2 in case I'm sharing, and to be able to put the dirty one/s face to face to minimize the potential mess. Ziploc bag or other plastic keeper (also reused) so that I can slip it all into whatever other tote I am carrying. Try as I might, I often do an "Elsbeth" with multiple tote bags on the way in to work. I need to find a lightweight mug, otherwise I just drink from water bottle (reusable) or whatever mugs are provided. It would be nice to have something that will accommodate warm beverages. I have not found the "bento boxes" to hold enough food of the right kinds at events, but that's definitely an option when I'm packing my own lunch.

Read More
- Katherine Boyce 2/20/2025 6:53 PM
  
  28-DAY STREAK
  Hooray Elsbeth! :)
  
  Read More
Margo Ashmore 2/19/2025 5:04 AM
- 28-DAY STREAK
I posted to Facebook, similar content to my reflection question answer on recycling at work.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
On-the-go

Does your workplace have a good recycling program? What could be improved?
Margo Ashmore 2/19/2025 4:54 AM
- 28-DAY STREAK
We do have a good recycling program - separation between trash, recyclables and organics in the break rooms. There is also a culture of reuse - people leave things that others could use, and if they aren't taken within a week, either the giver takes them back or they are disposed of. It seldom gets out of hand. I think it helps to do recycling and reuse/reduction education periodically since the markets and methods of recycling do change. There's a lot of misinformation out there about how much actually gets recycled. There are the horror stories of what has piled up in other countries and the oceans (true, but they tend to lead to despair and paralysis). Anyway - smart employers will give wellness points for taking recycling education, and those who've taken the training can help bring others along. Pictures and consistent colors on the bins help. It's ironic, though, that all the containers are lined (garbage and recycling with plastic, organics with the BPI certified compostable green bags) which may send the wrong message that it's okay to put recyclables in plastic bags, which it is NOT. It's okay for managing within the home/office, but recyclables need to be loose in the cart otherwise they are rejected as garbage at the recycling plant.

Read More
Margo Ashmore 2/17/2025 9:56 PM
- 28-DAY STREAK
Discovered that "organic" cashew butter (which I had never tried before) is packaged in small-serving plastic packets within the cardboard box. Tastes good, but ironic. Live and learn, I guess!

Read More
- H McCrillis 2/19/2025 1:20 AM
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  Indeed, the sadness of possible greenwashing. 😢
  
  Read More
- Brandon Rathbun 2/18/2025 2:14 AM
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  You think some of these "organic" food would be packed in a more environment safe packaging.
  
  Read More
Margo Ashmore 2/16/2025 1:49 PM
- 28-DAY STREAK
Spent most of the day in a Reuse Minnesota board retreat. This is an organization that educates, advocates and promotes anything reuse (repair, second-hand stores, rental, governments and organizations), and even has members for whom reuse isn't the main goal. Our lunch was served on reusable plates, with cloth napkins - basically the to-go kit multiplied by a dozen. Reusemn.org

Read More