Are you planning to give up anything for Lent?

Whether you’re religious or not, people often choose to let go of something or to fast from something at this time of year.

Green Spirits is a community outreach and social networking group at St. John’s Cathedral, whose mission is to take action to learn about, to protect, and to renew God’s earth and all who call it home.

This year, Green Spirits is advocating a fast from single-use plastics. They have provided a 40-day plastic fast calendar. which provides a tip each day to help us use less plastic and be better stewards of our beautiful planet.

Here are the tips from their calendar:

  • February 17: #PlasticFast starts.
  • February 18: Switch to a metal water bottle.
  • February 19: Refuse plastic lids.
  • February 20: Set-up a home recycling system.
  • February 21: Pray for the Earth.
  • February 22: Bring your own take out container.
  • February 23: Use a reusable straw.
  • February 24: Bring your own grocery bags.
  • February 25: Stop using one-use plastic cutlery.
  • February 26: Avoid produce in plastic packaging.
  • February 27: Ask your favorite restaurant to give up plastic cutlery.
  • February 28: Pray for the ocean.
  • March 1: Switch to bar soap or tablets.
  • March 2: Bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic.
  • March 3: Make your own skin care products.
  • March 4: Buy larger packaged items instead of travel size.
  • March 5: Make your own hand sanitizer.
  • March 6: Encourage restaurants to stop using styrofoam.
  • March 7: Pray for the unseen things.
  • March 8: Switch to bamboo toilet paper and paper towels.
  • March 9: Use biodegradable trash can liners.
  • March 10: Replace plastic cooking utensils with metal or wood.
  • March 11: Swap plastic bags and wrap for beeswax cloth.
  • March 12: Glass or stainless steel storage containers.
  • March 13: Start a community garden.
  • March 14: Pray for farmers and plants.
  • March 15: Make your own face masks from natural fibers.
  • March 16: Buy clothes from small businesses on Etsy.
  • March 17: Shop at thrift stores.
  • March 18: Avoid plastic accessories.
  • March 19: Ask for no plastic packaging when shopping online.
  • March 20: Walk your local park and pick up trash.
  • March 21: Pray for our rivers.
  • March 22: Give an experience instead of a toy.
  • March 23: Bake your own treats.
  • March 24: Don’t buy cheap plastic toys.
  • March 25: Use refillable pens and limit printed materials.
  • March 26: Put a no-junk mail sign on your mailbox.
  • March 27: Plant a tree and encourage others to as well.
  • March 28: Pray for areas affected by wildfires.

Green Spirits invites everyone to post their plastic fast actions to social media using the hashtag #PlasticFast2021.

Last year, Green Spirits gathered in Taliaferro Hall to watch “A Plastic Ocean.” It’s a remarkable documentary in which a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions. The full film is available on Netflix and can be purchased or rented on iTunes or Amazon.