WEEK 12

this week, your challenge is to... 

• make your own cleaning products. 
• WHO? --> you!
• WHAT? --> dish soap, glass cleaner, wooden floor cleaner, greasy pot rescue, sink cleaner, sticky residue remover. 
• WHERE? --> at home. 
• WHEN? --> when you run out of your current supply, make these instead of buying new ones. 
• WHY? --> (1) to reduce waste. (2) to avoid harsh chemicals. (3) to save money. 
• HOW? --> Find all the recipes here!

WEEK 11

this week, your challenge is to... 

• start composting.
• (1) to minimize landfills.
• > residential waste is made up of 40% compostable materials!
• (2) to save money.
• > you'll no longer have to buy chemical fertilizers.  
• (3) to save resources. 
• > compost helps with water retention so you'll waste less water. 
• (4) to improve your soil. 
• > compost returns valuable nutrients to the soil. 
• (5) to reduce your environmental impact. 
• > decrease CO2 emissions caused by vehicles who transport waste. 
• > stop chemical fertilizers from running off into our rivers, lakes and streams. 
• > diminish groundwater pollution caused by buried organics (when they react with metals in landfills).

- Check out these basic tips to become more familiar with composting. 

- Look up your city's composting regulations to see if there is a program you can follow.
- Watch this video to learn how to compost on your own! 

WEEK 10

this week, your challenge is to... 

• reduce fast food. 
• (something to think about): in one visit to a fast food restaurant, your food will be wrapped in paper, shoved in a plastic bag/paper sack that is filled with paper napkins, plastic straws, plastic utensils, and condiments wrapped in plastic...
• FAST FOOD IS THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO WASTE FLOATING IN THE OCEAN. (49%!!!) 
• you don't need to completely eliminate fast food cold turkey...just try to lessen. 

WEEK 9

this week, your challenge is to... 

• make your own deodorant. 
• (1) to reduce disposable packaging.
• (2) to know exactly what you're putting on your body (no more weird chemicals).
• (3) to save a few dollars!

RECIPE:

- 2 tablespoons baking soda. 
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch. 
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil. 
- 5 drops of your favourite essential oil. 

--> Mix all ingredients in a bowl. 

--> Pour/Scoop mixture into a little jar or container. 

--> Cover and store in your bathroom cupboard. 

WEEK 8

this week, your challenge is to... 

• eliminate paper towels and napkins.
• choose to reuse dish towels and fabric napkins instead. 

read up on this article to learn about the environmental impacts of paper towels.

WEEK 7

this week, your challenge is to... 

• switch to using bamboo toothbrushes. 
• (1) over 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes are dumped in landfills every year.

Make your household more environmentally conscious by buying a toothbrush like this one!

WEEK 6

this week, your challenge is to... 

• start making your own bread.
• (1) to reduce plastic packaging.
• (2) to know exactly what you're eating (no more weird chemicals).
• (3) to wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread!

RECIPE:

- 3 cups flour (I suggest unbleached). 

- 1/2 tsp. yeast. 

- 1 tsp. salt.

-1 1/2 cups water. 

--> Mix all ingredients in a bowl. 

--> Cover bowl and let sit overnight. 

--> (Next day) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

--> Transfer risen dough into a pot (I use a cast iron dutch oven).

--> Bake for 30 minutes covered.

--> Remove cover and bake for another 10 minutes.