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Hales Miller's avatar

Hales Miller

Polymeric Purge Party

"To save the environment with my pals!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 413 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    9.0
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    95
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    2.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    9.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    18
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill

Hales's actions

Lifestyle

Travel Smart

If traveling, I will bring my own plastic free items (water bottle, grocery bags, collapsible food containers, utensils, straws, etc.) with me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Travel Eating

If traveling, I will bring my own airplane snacks and eat at local restaurants to avoid take-out containers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Lather Up

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, and conditions with either a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Estimate Your Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral

I will visit rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Lobby for Reusables

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Dam the Flow

I will use a menstrual cup and/or cloth pads

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Watch a Documentary

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 2 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 9
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?


  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/28/2019 11:00 AM
    I survived summer camp while remaining relatively plastic free! I brought my own dishes and cutlery to the dining hall every day, and I said no thanks to most of the plastic-packaged treats (moooost of them... I just really like ice cream and Rice Krispies, especially when they're free). My coffee mug did break in the middle of the week, though, so I had to use disposable cups for my coffee for a few days. But overall I'm proud of myself! And the retreat center director said they were looking into getting more dishes to accommodate our large group for future years. Woohoo! 

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/18/2019 1:24 PM
    I'm going out of town to summer camp for the week! I won't be able to check in, but you better believe I'm gonna be bringing my own plate & cutlery! Y'all better carry the team while I'm gone.

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/17/2019 1:46 PM
    You know what else is good? Chocolate with a paper wrapper and a foil inside.

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/17/2019 11:41 AM
    Ya know what's the best plastic-free food to bring to parties? WATERMELON.
    Seriously, it's so cheap, easy to cut, and who the heck doesn't love watermelon?!

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/14/2019 7:57 AM
    Plastic-Free Recipe! Tuna salad sandwiches
    I've been making a lot of tuna salad because it's easy and pretty plastic-free. I buy:
    • canned tuna (you cooould get technical and say that there is BPA lining in canned foods, but let's skip that right now), 
    • a tomato, 
    • apple, 
    • celery (make sure you buy it from a store that doesn't sell it in bags), 
    • Plain yogurt or mayonnaise (I had this at home, but you could find it in glass jars if you look hard)
    • and some knot rolls from the bakery section (remember to bring your own bag or tea towels to hold the bread). 
    Cut it up, mix it together, and throw it on a sandwich. 
    Other great food options include: roasted veggies over quinoa or rice, a baked potato or sweet potato, etc.

    My other favorite easy plastic-free foods - Ice cream in a cone, and pizza!

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/09/2019 1:46 PM
    PSA: If you eat in the Aquarium cafe, you can bring your own plate and cup, and they'll fill it for you! Compostable material is great, but reusable material is even better ;)

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/09/2019 9:00 AM
    GREAT NEWS! I bought a shampoo bar and have used it twice! It's much less weird than I expected.

    • Hales Miller's avatar
      Hales Miller 7/09/2019 1:44 PM
      Dustie, I'm so glad! I have a friend-of-a-friend who owns a plastic-free store in Nashville, and she has a lot of inventory online. Check out https://thegoodfill.co/
      (I just found out that LUSH has started supporting some questionable charities... so I'd look into others)

    • Dustie Bourgeois's avatar
      Dustie Bourgeois 7/09/2019 12:25 PM
      You (and Amanda DeVleeschower) have inspired me.  I'm gonna try it too!
      You can buy them on-line or in person at LUSH in McCarther Center.

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/04/2019 7:44 AM
    I had a GREAT conversation with my cashier at Trader Joe's the other day about how the store is trying to go more plastic free with their packaging. I told her I was overjoyed to see that they finally had corn in its "natural" wrapper.
    Here's an article: https://www.foodandwine.com/news/trader-joes-plastic-policy

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 7/04/2019 7:42 AM
    Last night I tried my best to ask my server for a "real" cup, but I ended up with a plastic cup and straw anyway. Oh well, you can't win every battle. :)

  • Hales Miller's avatar
    Hales Miller 5/19/2019 7:23 AM
    LET'S DO THIS!!!! *strong arm emoji*