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Patrick Hare's avatar

Patrick Hare

Washington County Staff

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 862 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    287
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.5
    pounds
    waste avoided
  • UP TO
    3.5
    pounds
    packaging waste avoided
  • UP TO
    4.0
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    97
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    135
    minutes
    spent learning

Patrick's 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 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Watch a Documentary

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Ditch the Disposable Cleaning Wipes

I will replace my disposable cleaning wipes with a reusable brush or cloth.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Make Green Cleaners

I will make  4 of my own cleaning products (cleaners, detergents, soaps) instead of buying them in new spray bottles each time.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Skip the Dryer Sheets

I will replace dryer sheets with a reusable alternative or use nothing at all.

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 27
DAILY 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

On-the-go

Use A Reusable Mug or Cup

I will avoid sending 4 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own collapsible cup.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make Your Own

I will try a new recipe or food preparation method, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

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?


  • Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 3/03/2025 5:00 AM
    Thank you for offering the Plastic Free Challenge again this year. It is nice to learn as you participate in an activity that impacts us and the world around us. With our boys still in the house (while on college break/holiday, etc), we passed the challenge along to them as well with hopes they will continue to be more mindful as they go out into their world. This challenge would be nice to continue quarterly throughout the year with check-ins or follow ups.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/18/2025 4:02 AM
    We have purchased herb seeds and will begin growing in the house for our spring/summer garden.
    Also, I am saving our coffee grounds to use as fertilizer and to support our garden. The grounds will be added to the soil come spring.

  • Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/13/2025 5:02 AM
    We try to clean and sort recyclables as we go and place them in a large bag. This way plastic bags aren't a problem for t the recycling facilities.



  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    How difficult (or easy!) has it been for you to cut dryer sheets from your laundry routine?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/11/2025 4:57 AM
    Cutting the dryer sheets was actually quite easy.
    We are now hunting for different types of dryer balls.
    And we can add scented sachet packets if we decide we really need to freshen up our clothes.

  • Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/10/2025 4:24 AM
    Alissa is trying new things along with lovely sourdough bread and pizza crust. This weeks is raspberry muffins. Yum
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    How do you tackle hang drying clothes during cold winter months?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/06/2025 4:00 AM
    We have installed a line in the laundry room of the house for long garments and have drying racks for other clothes.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    Which household cleaners did you try making? Have you been able to simplify your cleaning routine?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/05/2025 9:07 AM
    We are using our own cleaners in reuseable glass bottles.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    How do you feel about being more involved in the food preparation process? Joyful, overwhelmed, engaged, empowered? What are the benefits of choosing to process or produce your own food instead of buying it pre-processed?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/04/2025 4:14 AM
    Alissa has been trying a great many things with sourdough starter and we are making our own bread, sourdough, muffins, etc.
    Everything bagel sourdough is a favorite, along with jalapeno cheddar.
    Also, we are pre-making pancakes and freezing them with has also been a big hit with our busy household.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    How have you modified your cleaning routine to make sure you aren't using disposable wipes? Are you satisfied with the results?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/03/2025 9:56 AM
    We have moved to using Reuseable Swedish Dishcloths that work great. These are wonderful for washing dishes and for many other uses; we use them to wipe down surfaces.
    Best part about them is once they are soiled, just toss them in the washing machine and clean them up to live on and keep cleaning...
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    On-the-go
    Great job on getting rid of your disposable cup habit! How does it make you feel? Are there any situations where you still struggle to use a reusable mug?

    Patrick Hare's avatar
    Patrick Hare 2/03/2025 9:48 AM
    Getting rid of disposable cups feels terrific. Haven't had a situation where I am struggling to us a reusable cup/mug. This also is wonderful for water as most places now will have access to a refilling station which helps reduce plastic bottles. Definitely a win/win for me and WIN.