Cristy Gaffney

"The dream is to eliminate plastic entirely from my life, but that’s impossible, since it’s in everything, including our bodies. In lieu of that, I want to make my best conscious effort, whenever faced with a decision, to make the plastic-free (or plastic-minimal) choice. I can only do my best"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
441 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

78

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

60

minutes

spent learning

Cristy's actions

At Home

Plan a Garden

I will plan an herb or vegetable garden for next year at my home, workplace, or community garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

WASH COLD, LINE DRY

I will wash my clothing in cold water and hang it to dry to reduce the amount of microplastic shedding and to prolong the life of my garments.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Shop Used

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

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Plastic filter

I will buy a plastic filter for my washing machine, to catch the microfibers in the wash

UNCOMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Plastics 101

Estimate Your Plastic Footprint

I will complete a plastic consumption calculator to learn about my plastic footprint.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Plastics 101

Complete a waste audit

I will spend 45 minutes conducting a waste audit- including recyclables and compost- to understand how much plastic waste I create and where I can reduce the most.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

REDUCE MY MILES DRIVEN

I will cut down the miles I drive to reduce microplastic shedding from tires. Alternatives include riding public transit, walking, biking, carpooling and combining trips.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Plastics 101

What might you do differently since learning about bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastic?
Cristy Gaffney 2/17/2025 12:00 PM
I still don’t fully understand the distinction between biodegradable and compostable.
I think I’ll avoid using as much plastic as possible, including compostable, and definitely won’t use bio-based - that doesn’t seem like much of an improvement. It just seems unnecessary and requires another step to not go to to the landfill, when using reusable items (like dishes and silverware and glasses) is just as easy, and better for g to environment.

Read More
Cristy Gaffney 2/14/2025 10:00 AM
Today’s plastic-free email was about pets, and mentioned non-plastic options for bowls. I got our cats’ bowls at the local Asian market. They have a whole dinnerware aisle, and some of it is really fun - I found little bowls with anime cats painted in them; they’re perfect and only cost a dollar or two.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What do you enjoy about active transportation? What has been difficult?
Cristy Gaffney 2/13/2025 1:55 PM
I’ve been making virtual appointments whenever I can, rather than driving, which has saved a lot of miles.

Read More
- H McCrillis 2/14/2025 12:39 AM
  
  28-DAY STREAK
  Hooray! Yeah, surprised the challenge doesn’t offer any actions regarding vehicles.
  
  Read More
Cristy Gaffney 2/12/2025 7:09 PM
We switched from laundry sheets to refillable laundry detergent that comes in aluminum bottles. I learned that laundry sheets have plastic (polyvinyl alcohol, which doesn’t completely dissolve) in them.

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Cristy Gaffney 2/12/2025 2:56 PM
I started using vitamins that come in a glass jar, and I can order refills that come in a pouch, instead of using endless plastic bottles. Of course, I don’t know what the pouch is made of, or how much more carbon it takes to transport glass jars, so it’s hard to know what the net environmental cost is.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Plastics 101

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?
Cristy Gaffney 2/12/2025 2:53 PM
I haven’t done this yet because I’m terrified to learn how much plastic I still use, even though we try really hard to avoid it. It’s everywhere!

Read More
- Michelle B 2/12/2025 4:33 PM
  
  24-DAY STREAK
  I was so nervous to do it, too but then it wasn't as bad as I thought. it wasn't shaming, just informative, even interesting. in my experience. agreed, plastic IS everywhere and not easy to escape. grateful for this challenge.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?
Cristy Gaffney 2/10/2025 2:03 PM
Our bunnies cannot wait for us to get the garden going!
We have a really nice fenced in garden, but we may try building some raised beds this year. Just not sure how to fill them with soil, since we live up on a hill and couldn’t have it delivered to where we’d need it.
We may start seeds indoors this year if we can put a door on the laundry room to keep the kittens from eating the seedlings

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

What kinds of items have been easy for you to find used? What has been hard?
Cristy Gaffney 2/10/2025 2:00 PM
We use use our neighborhood Buy Nothing page a lot to give away things we no longer need or use or that fit, and to get used things from neighbors. It does more than save everyone money; it keeps things out of the landfill or recycling (if they even would end up being recycled), gives products a longer life, and since it’s in the neighborhood, the products aren’t being transported from overseas; we just go nearby and pick them up. And it makes everyone happy!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

How do you tackle hang drying clothes during cold winter months?
Cristy Gaffney 2/10/2025 1:55 PM
We have multiple laundry lines strung up in our basement and one in the laundry room down there. Since the house is so dry, things dry quickly.

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- H McCrillis 2/10/2025 4:32 PM
  
  28-DAY STREAK
  Huh, stringing lines sounds like a good idea.
  
  Read More
- Pat Burns 2/10/2025 3:40 PM
  
  TEAM CAPTAIN
  
  20-DAY STREAK
  Excellent humidity addition:)
  
  Read More
Cristy Gaffney 1/27/2025 5:09 PM
Picked up some shattered pieces of plastic something from the street today

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