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
- 539 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO30zero-waste mealsconsumed
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UP TO6.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO65minutesspent 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 2/27/2026 8:49 AMI cleaned out the fridge this morning. Less waste! Less plastic, more recycled condiment bottles with the caps on. -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/27/2026 8:46 AMThis year’s Plastic-Free Challenge has felt harder than usual. A handful of personal matters demanded my time and energy, and I didn’t show up to it the way I had hoped.But this morning, as I carried out the recycling and compost, I was reminded that this isn’t just a one-month effort, it’s a permanent way of living. Each time I participate alongside others, even imperfectly, my commitment deepens and my resolve grows stronger. -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 2/16/2026 11:19 AMIt's a beautiful day here in Minneapolis. I'm planning on taking a few minutes after work today to clean up the garbage on my block. Enjoy the sunshiny warmth and making the block more beautiful = win/win.-
Julie DURR 2/16/2026 1:05 PMYes, this would be a great day to do some yard clean up. You can't beat 51 degrees in mid February.
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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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