Vacation got in the way for a few days near the end of the challenge, but I am happy to say I didn't drop out of the game entirely. I'll take even the minor victories and successes! How did you do? I congratulate you for being on the team and for every step, even the baby steps, in the right direction. Thanks to all of you for making the journey with us! Now go out there and make these new habits stick! 

I'm grateful to Sustainable Warwick for allowing me to participate in this challenging challenge! I learned a lot from all of your posts.  I met my goal and I have set some new goals for after the challenge ends.  Thank you, thank you!  It's been fun too!

As July winds down I note that for the last 10 days I've also been trying to limit my digital exposure, which precluded me from making daily posts. So much to be done!
I made it through the month without using shampoo from a plastic bottle. Mostly I use just plain water, but sometimes if my hair seems oily, I put a pile of baking soda in one palm, rub it onto both palms, then into the scalp.  Did anyone get a shampoo in a refillable bottle or find a way to make a home made shampoo?

There were 4 times this month I acquired single-use plastic:
-- purchased a netting (actually made of plastic) to defend my blueberry bushes and strawberry plants from birds, and that came in a plastic wrap
-- visiting family in TX, got a loaf of bread that wasn't wrapped, and the bags they provided had a stripe of see-through plastic on it (shoulda asked around the store for a 100% paper bag)
-- bought a small chunk of drunken goat milk cheese in a small bit of shrink wrap.
-- saw a 3D movie, for which the glasses were put in the bin to be re-used, but they came wrapped in plastic.

Not too bad for a month, eh?

Thanks, everyone!

Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge. July few by! Gonna give it an extra effort, make these last 2 days count!

Nuts!

Freezing food in jars: This site has some great tips for how to do this safely. Lots of info out there on the interwebs. One reason I like freezing in mason jars is that in my pull out drawer freezer, I store the jars on their lids, so I can see what is in them with a glance. 

On the subject of plastic free cleaning products - I just learned about another one called Dropps. Their video is pretty entertaining!

I've been trying the Clean Cult products for about 2 months. They have cardboard refill cartons for some items, which I love in theory, but the dish soap and hand soap, not especially thrilled with. Doesn't lather much. nicelySo far I like their dishwasher and laundry pods though. Both do the job and no plastic bottles. 

Have you read Beth Terry's "Plastic Free"? Great book with hundreds of ideas to incorporate into your daily life. Beth is a funny gal who shares her successes as well as oopses and failures with a great sense of humor. Her website shares her latest challenges and search for plastic-free answers. She has taken the deep dive into plastic-free living and not everyone can do that, but as we have been learning this month, every bit of change helps. Here's a post of Beth's on washing fleece and washing all the micro-fibers down the drain. There is a washing bag that holds the fibers so you can gather them and put in trash. Beth tested it and posted photos and her thoughts on it.

Today is Day 3 of the challenge I set up for myself.  I committed to posting a picture every day for 31 days on my Facebook and Instagram pages showing a simple change everyone can make to help reduce plastic and other waste.  I'm getting good responses which feels good.  This was my way of extending this ecochallenge which has really inspired me to do more and to pay more close attention to my actions.

Have been away on a mini vacation. It’s been a challenge to keep even the easier actions going. Walking around town in the heat, didnt bring my refillable mug or metal straw but a frozen lemonade became very important to have! I succumbed to a plastic cup and lid BUT they had paper straws! Also brought it all back to the room, rinsed and recycled what I could. So, not a total defeat.