28 Day Plastic Challenge: A Day-by-Day Plan to Remove Cancer-Causing Plastics From Your Body

Look around. Plastic is everywhere! Sure, they’re convenient and cheap, but there are some major pitfalls of living in a plastic world. Not only can plastics harbor nasty ingredients that harm your health, like BPA and phthalates, they’re also polluting the planet.

Specific to your health, “endocrine-disrupting chemicals” pose a serious risk to the normal function of your endocrine systems. According to scientists and campaign groups, these chemicals manipulate and disrupt your body’s ability to produce natural hormones.

The 28-Day Plastic Purge is not aimed at completely banishing plastic, but rather, helping you locate and ID the most toxic and unnecessary sources. The easiest way to reduce plastic in your life is to simply avoid using single-use plastics as much as possible, this includes plastic grocery bags, plastic water bottles and takeout containers. To do this successfully, it’s important to take small simple, everyday changes. Take on this easily manageable 28-day plastic purge challenge and rid your life of unnecessary plastic for good!

The 28-Day Plastic Purge

Day 1

Recycle worn, mismatched, scratched or unused food and drink storage contains – these plastics leach nasty chemicals into your food.

Day 2

Use less plastic cling wrap. Try out different, healthier options, such as reusable wrap made with beeswax and reusable glass containers!

Day 3

Choose a plastic-free water bottle. Look for ones made of grade steel and glass!

Day 4

Buy a proper water filter, then promise to ditch bottled water for good.

Day 5

Be done with plastic baggies. Opt for compostable, unbleached paper sandwich bags to kick your plastic sandwich bag habit.

Day 6

Vow to use safer, reusable food storage containers.

Day 7

Educate yourself on the importance of avoiding “BPA-free” plastics. Many contain harmful chemicals that could be worse for you than BPA toxins.

Day 8

Get into the right mind frame. By being more mindful about what you purchase, avoiding plastics, you’ll throw out less later.

Day 9

Take your own reusable containers for takeout! That way, you won’t feel guilty about all of the Styrofoam, but still enjoy your food.

Day 10

Reuse any grocery shopping bags you already have on hand – they make great liners for smaller waste baskets or dog poop picker-uppers.

Day 11

Empty any small wastebaskets into larger trash so you don’t throw away the liners you’ve used (remember day 10)!

Day 12

Become a human track compacter. Break down any bulky cartons – by pressing or stomping on them – so you can fit more into each trash bags. This way, you’ll use fewer trash bags over time.

Day 13

Start making a conscious effort when making a purchase to look for products with the least amount of packing. For example, rather than buying salad in a plastic bag or container, opt to buy it in loose and fresh.

Day 14

Keep yard and garden waste and compostable food out of your trash cans, this way, you’ll use dramatically fewer plastic bags over time. Compost all that waste instead!

Day 15

Swear off microbeads (the tiny beads found in exfoliating products like face scrubs or toothpaste) by carefully checking labels. Microbeads pollute the ocean’s food chain.

Day 16

Skip the drug store and make your own skin-care products. Beyond all the plastic you’ll save, you’ll save some serious cash.

Day 17

Phase out phthalates. These are the plasticizing chemicals used to make several beauty products and scents. They’re toxic for both you and the environment.

Day 18

Try using a sustainable toothbrush that you to replace the heads. That way, you won’t be replacing the entire toothbrush when the head is worn out.

Day 19

Look around your bathroom. There’s probably plastic in every direction you look. By simply making your own homemade hair products, you’ll eliminate plastic on a continuous basis.

Day 20

Invest in a safer, reusable shower curtain. Opt for organic cotton or the hemp shower variety.

Day 21

Don’t want to make your own soap? No problem! To avoid more plastic, buy bar soaps and body washes – some even come in biodegradable paper.

Day 22

BYOB – Bring your own (grocery) bags. Any tote bag you have laying around will work. If you need new ones, buy ones made of cotton or hemp.

Day 23

Skip soda bottles and make your own carbonated drinks. Soda carbonators are now widely available, with reusable glass bottles. Better yet, return used carbon dioxide cartridges to stores that sell them.

Day 24

Don’t buy packaged foods, like yoghurt, make them for yourself! Not only will this help you save on plastic, but it will give you more control on the ingredients going into your foods.

Day 25

Only use wooden or metal utensils when cooking your food. Just as you shouldn’t microwave plastic, holding a plastic spatula against a hot frying pan will also leach plastics into your food.

Day 26

Get your own java jolt from a French press. Coffee machines have too many plastic parts, while most French presses, have only glass carafes and metal filters.

Day 27

Reflect back on your progress. Have you been using your reusable grocery bags and finding small ways to avoid plastics in your everyday life? Be honest with yourself.