Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023: Collective Impact and Reflections

Total Participants

4,595

across 50 states

Total Actions Completed

107,200

Total Reflections Shared

10,042

Participant Engagement

Average # of daily check-ins: 10

One-time action success rate: 46%

Daily action success rate: 31%

Top 5 Actions across All Action Categories

Skip Plastic Bags: 1,599

Fill a Water Bottle: 1,297

Minimize Packaging: 1,043

Go Strawless: 998

Choose Reusable Food Storage: 980

Top 5 Most Impactful Actions

Minimize Packaging: 1,043

Cook a Plastic Free Meal: 731

Try a New Recipe: 665

Buy Only What I Need: 534

Homemade or Refillable Cleaners: 474

"The biggest learning is that my part has just begun. There is so much teaching that needs to happen to continue. My children love to take the quick/easy way out and get annoyed when there are no plastic bags. Next step is to work on upcycling to create fun reusable containers that my children can help create."

— Alison

"This challenge was really fun, I'm looking for the next one but with less plastic in my life :)"

— Mahir

"Had a party over the weekend and decided to keep it as free of plastic as possible. I noticed two things. One, the whole thing felt very elevated with the plastic missing! Yay! Lots of positive feedback on how nice it looked. Two, I was STUNNED when we went to take out the trash and recycling the next morning. Normally we have to plan to make sure there's enough room in the bins to handle post-party aftermath. This time, BOTH the garbage AND the recycling were almost empty!! We had 20 people over! What!"

— Autumn

"This was my first year doing this challenge. It was fun, challenging and so informative! I had already begun the process of eliminating as much single use plastics from my home a month before so this was seriously added incentive. I appreciate all of the great ideas from participants from all over the country! Great Job Team Reid Park! See you next year!"

— Connie

"I am encouraged by the Plastic Free Ecochallenge because it reaches so many people and creates a valuable sharing community. The plastic pollution problem can't be solved by individuals in isolation - it must be solved by many people working together to force change at the highest levels of corporate and political governance. So, hopefully by seeing so many people actively participating in the challenge, those who can move the needle are watching and listening and willing to lead changes!"

— Carol

"My Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023 is going remarkably well! Hosting a watch party allowed me to connect with participants, share valuable insights, and build a supportive community dedicated to reducing plastic waste and promoting eco-consciousness. Together, we're making a positive impact on the environment and inspiring others to join the cause."

— Mackenzie

"I have been advertising this challenge to work colleagues for consideration as a Plastic Free July activity for 2024. Great interactive webpage and I appreciate the team concept. Thank you to all the sponsors and content developers."

— Jim

"Challenges, such as this one, raise our awareness and keep it honed in on our daily activities so that we can examine and improve habits always with the goal of lessening our impact on our environment. We carry that forward in all we do: examine - improve!"

— Laurie

"Overall, I was surprised of the different plastic identification numbers. I learned, wrongly, some time ago that any plastic with the recycling symbol can be recycled. Further, I was shocked of the large batches of recyclables are discarded because they can be contaminated! In the future, I plan on paying closer attention to the types of plastics I buy if it can't be avoided and how best to recycle them."

— Tom

"The month flew by! I am glad to continue to implement the changes I learned on this year's challenge."

— Felicia

"I learned specific places to take certain items within my city, and I gleaned valuable information about how and where to recycle plastic film. The hardest part of recycling for me is that recycling things like candy wrappers is quite expensive, and the submission boxes are on the large side; the best way for me to do that is to encourage organizations like schools and churches to make the service available and then use my communication resources to encourage people to collect and drop off their items. Some things are easy for me, though; three major grocery store chains in my area accept plastic film, and I can drop off most other recycling within two miles of where I live."

— Mary

"I have noticed how much unnecessary packaging there is when shopping. I try to opt for as little packaging as possible, but it can sometimes be hard to avoid. I really don't like waste."

— Sara

"The benefits of a sharing economy are sharing resources and reducing waste. By sharing our unused stuff we are keeping items out of the dump and avoiding unnecessary upurchasing. It is a more responsible use of our resources. Today, I took the time to learn how to and repair an old notebook for my daughter that can be used at college."

— Shelly

"I had fun participating in Plastic Free July. Some things were harder than I thought they would be. This challenge made me think a lot more about what plastics I'm contributing to. Even though July is almost over I will still reduce my use of plastics as much as possible."

— Amy