Plastic is a miracle material. Thanks to plastics, countless lives have been saved in the health sector, the growth of clean energy from wind turbines and solar panels has been greatly facilitated, and safe food storage has been revolutionized. But what makes plastic so convenient in our day-to-day lives – it’s cheap – also makes it ubiquitous, resulting in one of our planet’s greatest environmental challenges. Our oceans have been used as a dumping ground, choking marine life and transforming some marine areas into plastic soup. In cities around the world, plastic waste clogs drains, causing floods and breeding disease. Consumed by livestock, it also finds its way into the food chain. Plastic packaging accounts for nearly half of all plastic waste globally, and much of it is thrown away within just a few minutes of its first use. Much plastic may be single-use, but that does not mean it is easily disposable. When discarded in landfills or in the environment, plastic can take up to a thousand years to decompose. How to compete for the challenge? 1. Find 2 empty mason jars and draw out 7 lines outside the jar indicating 7 days of the week. 2. The aim is over the course of each day you need to add all the single-use plastic waste that you would be creating. This could be a plastic straw you got at the coffee shop, the plastic wrap that your sandwich was wrapped in, etc. 3. Keep adding these items to the jar and over the course of the week see how much of the jar is being filled. 4. By the end of day 5-6 the jar should have bare minimum single-use plastic Tips: 1. Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store (or any store!). 2. Don't buy beverages bottles in plastic. Glass is great. 3. Carry your own reusable steel or ceramic beverage container. If they're too pricey, use a glass mason jar! Heavy, but cheap. 4. Don't get to-go coffee or hot drinks. Your drink lid and cup will live on for over 100 years! The lids and lining are plastic. Bring your own or ask for a ceramic, reusable cup. 5. Go to the farmer's market and purchase fresh fruits and veggies (not packaged in plastic). 6. Don't buy convenience foods packages in plastic. 7. Make your own bread. 8. Buy bread from bakeries that package in the paper. 9. Clean with baking soda and vinegar instead of cleaners packaged in plastic. 10. Buy laundry detergent in boxes, not liquid in plastic containers. 11. Buy farm-fresh eggs in reusable paper containers. 12. Get your cheese from the deli and place it in your own container (glass or a plastic one that you already have, don't waste what you already have!) or get it wrapped in paper. 13. Buy your meat from the deli and have it wrapped in paper. 14. Package your leftovers in Corningware. 15. Bring your own containers to restaurants to package leftovers.