Lisa Hirst Carnes
"To be a good steward of the Earth by choosing thoughtfully, consuming less, repairing more, supporting ethical production, and honoring the full life cycle of the things I use."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 424 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO20zero-waste mealsconsumed
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UP TO4.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO50minutesspent learning
Lisa's actions
Community
Support a Sharing Economy
I will support the sharing economy by joining a community tool exchange, toy library, or buy nothing group.
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.
Food
Swap the Snacks
I will swap 5 prepackaged snacks for unpackaged fruits or veggies or homemade or bulk items each time we need more.
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.
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.
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.
Participant Feed
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Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/15/2026 3:01 PMIf you're looking, there are lots of plastic-free options! -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/10/2026 3:14 PMReflection from last night - As a commitment to waste less food, I did the ol' throw all of the veggies you have on a sheet pan season with salt, pepper, toss in olive oil and roast the heck out of them. Popped some feta on the pan to provide a little creamy fat and tossed it with Banza pasta. Delicious, used all of the food, and healthy! Score!-
Chris Kostelec 2/12/2026 12:55 PM
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Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/08/2026 6:28 PMWe got Rainbow Chinese last night. FYI - their take out boxes are compostable. :) -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/08/2026 5:19 PMSlightly unrelated to this challenge, but similar vibe. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to make a better effort to fix stuff that's broken, ripped, etc. Recently I sent our coffee machine out to get serviced and we just got it back and it looks and makes coffee like it's brand new. I also ordered some wool fabric from Pendleton to fix a beautiful wool blanket that got eaten by our dog. Repairs for the win! -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/07/2026 7:51 AMGetting set to shop at a new (to me) store in my neighborhood—Marissa's Supermarket. My list is focused on slow, homemade, nourishing food, that's not wrapped in plastic. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunityHow else can you advocate for businesses to reduce their plastic use?
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/06/2026 1:31 PMI was thrilled to see some of my favorite (and frequent) places on this list–including Curioso Coffee, Nightingale, Barbette. I also tried Francis Burger Joint earlier this week. There are definitely places I've designated as in-person only because of their togo/delivery packaging. -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/06/2026 1:28 PMSo far, the challenge is going okay. I've been busy with a bunch of other stuff and feel like I haven't had much time to dive deep on my actions. The month just started though so...-
Lily Keire 2/07/2026 5:03 AMYes, it's a lot! I am circling back to take a deeper dive into my habits, and that's working for me.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFoodHow does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies or homemade or bulk items benefit your household?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunityWhat are the benefits of a sharing economy? How has joining a sharing economy change the dynamics you have with the stuff you use and with your friends, family and/or neighbors?
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/05/2026 11:18 AMI like to read on a Kindle at night so my light doesn't disturb my partner. Out of convenience, I was often (I still read regular books) downloading books from Amazon (I know - ugh). Lately, I've been making a more concerted effort to use the Libby app. Best of all, it supports our libraries, it's free, and doesn't support a billionaire brand. Win-Win-Win! -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/05/2026 11:10 AMHeading to the co-op later today, and I'm going to pay special (more) attention to all of the treasures available in the bulk section, and see how much plastic I can avoid by going bulk.-
Katherine Boyce 2/05/2026 3:16 PMThere are so many surprising things available in bulk at the coop, it makes shopping a lot more fun!
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