Heather Pillsbury

Before you dive in, take 2 minutes to share your why: What's motivating you to waste less this sprint? Post it to the feed so you (and the rest of us!) have something to look back on when things get busy.

To better understand how I can waste less, I’ll track how much waste I produce in a day (or week), paying attention to packaging, food containers, food waste, and single-use items. I’ll reflect on what surprised me most and what I could do differently in the feed.

I will turn off lights, electronics, and appliances when not in use to save energy.

Groceries are one of the biggest sources of single-use packaging that generates waste. I will redesign one part of my grocery routine (e.g., bulk bins, loose produce, refill options) to replace 2 products with plastic and packaging waste.

I will refuse single-use items (e.g., napkins, utensils, condiment packets, lids) from restaurants and establishments when I don’t need them.

Having reusables ready and integrated into my daily routine can help to avoid single-use plastic while out and about. I will put together a kit with items like a mug, water bottle, utensils, or tote bag to take with me when I leave the house.

I will spend 30 minutes unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists and deleting old emails to reduce digital storage.

I will spend 30 minutes organizing and deleting unneeded files on my desktop and downloads folder.

Too much artificial light can confuse and harm animals, especially those active at night. I will reduce lighting at night or switch to wildlife-friendly fixtures to support healthy habitats.

Leave No Trace means enjoying nature responsibly by minimizing our impact and leaving the environment as we found it, or better. I will spend 30 minutes learning about the seven core principles to minimize my impact while enjoying the outdoors.

I will spend 30 minutes learning about nonprofits in my area that tackle sustainability and waste challenges that I could get involved with.

Unnecessary waste is spoooooky! For Halloween this year, I will create a low-waste costume for myself or someone else in my family (pet, child, spouse) and share a photo of the final result in the feed.

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the energy and resource impacts of AI and automation tools and identify 1–2 ways to use them more intentionally.

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the Right to Repair movement and how repair policies influence electronic waste and device longevity.