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Welcome to Plastic-Free Challenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Plastic-Free Challenge expert in no time!

Hennepin County | Ramsey County | Washington County
Plastic-Free Challenge
February 1 - February 28, 2025
John Zobac's avatar

John Zobac

Niron Magnetics

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 712 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    34
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.6
    pounds
    waste avoided
  • UP TO
    1.6
    pounds
    waste recycled
  • UP TO
    49
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    70
    minutes
    spent learning

John's 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

Recycle Plastic Caps

I will recycle 1 plastic caps per day by placing them back on the plastic bottles before placing them in my recycling bin.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Extend the Life of Electronics

Manufacturers want you to replace your phones every year. I will keep my phone for at least 3 years and make any necessary repairs or updates to keep it functioning as long as possible.

COMPLETED
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 10
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

At Home

Ditch the Disposable Cleaning Wipes

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Say no to “Flushable wipes”

Wipes don't break down in sewer systems, but create massive clogs. I will find alternatives to using disposable wipes. 

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

On-the-go

Use Reusable Water Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

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?

  • John Zobac's avatar
    John Zobac 2/27/2025 8:47 AM
    I was told there would be free plastic?
    Read More
  • John Zobac's avatar
    John Zobac 2/24/2025 1:57 PM
    I wish we could do more about past pollution. There have been many papers in the last decade about ways to break polymers down, but I never see news later on about those processes being scaled up and applied.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    On-the-go
    Can you think of any scenarios where using your own bottle is harder? How can you make sure not to get a disposable bottle in that case?
    John Zobac's avatar
    John Zobac 2/20/2025 8:14 AM
    My favorite, steel bottle is a bit unwieldy to bring to work. I liked bringing a single plastic bottle each day. But that was wasteful.

    Cutting the habit wasn't too hard. Thankfully we have an on-site water filter and reusable cups. It made me wonder how many other simple habits I could replace with environmentally friendly ones.
    Read More
  • John Zobac's avatar
    John Zobac 2/11/2025 10:23 AM
    PVC (Plastic #3) and PS (#6) may be recyclable in the future! But for now, they are not.

    Upcycling Poly(vinyl chloride) and Polystyrene Plastics Using Photothermal Conversion | Journal of the American Chemical Society
    Read More