Denise Coon

The Deplasticators

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
254 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

0.2

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.4

pounds

packaging waste avoided
UP TO

120

minutes

spent learning

Denise's actions

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will avoid 3 plastic bags each shopping trip by not bagging my produce or using reusable produce bags.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Support a Sharing Economy

I will support the sharing economy by joining a community tool exchange, toy library, or buy nothing group.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Shop Used

I will buy secondhand goods to reduce the demand for new plastic products and avoid packaging.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Read Plastic-Free Challenge emails

I will read through the three emails each week to learn more about plastic and get ideas on how to use less.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Avoid Harmful Plastics

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polyvinyl, polystyrene and polycarbonate (#3,#6 and #7).

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Know the Numbers

The numbers #1-7 on plastics tell us a lot and can help us be better recyclers. I will learn more about what the symbols on plastics mean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Plastics 101

Stop "wishcycling"

Contamination makes the recycling process more difficult. I will review which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my county and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Plastics 101

Do some research on polystyrene and polyvinyl. How many items in your house already contain these toxins?
Denise Coon 2/23/2026 10:04 AM
The house has PVC piping in the kitchen and bathrooms. Polystyrene is terrible and I avoid it at all costs. At restaurants, if the only take-home option is styrofoam, I'll either leave without taking my food or, most often ask for foil to wrap it in and a plastic bag. I'll rinse and recycle the foil and re-use the bag for cleaning kitty litter.

Read More
Denise Coon 2/23/2026 9:31 AM
The challenge is going well. I'm starting to put lids in with containers more often but some lids have inserts that don't look plastic and don't look recyclable. But hey - the experts say put the lids on, so... I'm making a change!

Read More
Denise Coon 2/23/2026 9:29 AM
There's still so much misinformation about recycling. Happy for this challenge and the education it provides.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

What kinds of items have been easy for you to find used? What has been hard?
Denise Coon 2/11/2026 10:00 AM
Jeans! There are never-ending racks of jeans in every resale shop.

Read More
- Lily Keire 2/13/2026 3:47 AM
  Yes, even used clothing is now more expensive. Still, one reason I buy used is that you can actually see what the clothing looks like after it's been washed.
  
  Read More
- Ana Zuniga 2/11/2026 10:34 AM
  I agree with you there are never-ending racks of jeans in every resale shop, but prices have sky-rocked that sometimes it doesn't make it worth it anymore to buy second hand jeans.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Why do you think these products have so much plastic packaging? Who is the plastic packaging really serving -- the consumer, the producer, or someone else?
Denise Coon 2/11/2026 9:58 AM
Not only important to avoid putting groceries in plastic/paper non-reusable bags, but don't put loose produce in plastic bags if it's not absolutely necessary.

Read More