The Ripple Starts With You: Why We Restructured the Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge

The Ripple Starts With You: Why We Restructured the Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge

One spring morning in 2022, I discovered that my backyard had attracted a surprise guest: a family of baby possums.

They were adorable. They were unexpected. And they were the result of me doing something new — learning how to compost.

I had no idea that one small personal habit would eventually inspire my neighbors to join in, spark conversations around our block, and kick off the beginning of a mini neighborhood compost network. But that’s how change works. It starts with you — and then it ripples outward.

That ripple effect is the inspiration behind our new approach to the Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge.

This July, we’re doing things a little differently — and we think you’re going to love it.

At Ecochallenge.org, we’ve always believed that individual actions matter. For years, our categories like “waste,” “food,” and “transportation” have helped participants take meaningful steps toward sustainability. With this year’s Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge, we’re inviting you to take a new kind of journey — one that reflects how change spreads.

Instead of organizing actions by topic, we’ve created a ripple-based structure that begins with your habits and grows outward to include those who are close to you, your community, and ultimately, the systems that shape our world.

• First Steps: Start with You – Build confidence and awareness with simple, personal habits.
• Level Up: Influence Friends and Family – Inspire the people around you by leading through example.
• Lead the Way: Shape Your Community – Take action in your workplace, school, or neighborhood.
• Change the Game: Rethink Systems – Advocate for policy and systems-level shifts.

This new approach is more than a fresh format — it’s a science-based design rooted in how change happens at scale. And, it’s designed to help you imagine what taking action at each level can look like for you.

Why This Works: The Science of Social Change

Behavior change doesn’t happen in isolation. It grows through connection, it happens out in the open. It happens at the speed of trust.

Our Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge is inspired by the socio-ecological model (also called the social ecological model) of behavior change, which recognizes that our habits are shaped not just by personal motivation, but by the people, environments, and systems around us.

Here’s what we know:

• We copy what we see. When others take action — especially people we know and trust — we’re more likely to try it ourselves.
• We’re social by nature. Sharing our efforts publicly makes behaviors feel normal and doable, even if they’re new.
• We stick with change when we feel part of something bigger. Seeing how our small steps connect to a broader movement keeps us engaged and motivated to keep going.

That’s why Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge guides you through four levels of impact — a natural progression that mirrors how real transformation happens. From trying a new habit to building a community compost network (more on that in a minute!), the journey becomes more rewarding — and more impactful — the further you go.

(For those of you who like to nerd out on social science, check out this site, watch this video, or learn about Urie Bronfenfrenner, who originally came up with the concept.)

How It Started: A Compost Pile and Greg

A few years ago, I worked on a behavior change initiative focused on improving agriculture for small-scale farmers by encouraging them to try composting. I’d never composted before, but because of the project, I became excited to try it out.

I started small: reading up on what goes in the pile, buying a bin, and experimenting in my backyard. I made mistakes — like the time I put a bunch of compostable cups in the pile that never broke down because my pile wasn’t hot or big enough and when I accidentally attracted a family of baby possums to nest in my warm pile (adorable, but not exactly the goal).

As I found my rhythm, I started sharing what I was doing with my neighbor, Greg (especially since his yard was closest to the possum-attracting pile). He got a small metal bucket and started texting me when it was full of kitchen scraps, asking if I could pick up his scraps! Now I give him extra produce from my garden to say thanks, and I’m working on building an informal community compost network in our northeast Florida neighborhood.

That tiny pile? It became something bigger than I planned. And it all started with a personal commitment to try something new. Maybe the whole town will be composting one day.

Try Something New This July

That’s the spirit behind Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge: start where you are, begin with what you can control, and be open to where it leads. Change doesn’t have to be perfect or polished. It just has to start.

Whether you’re switching to reusable containers, hosting a conversation at work, or advocating for policy change, your actions matter — and they grow more powerful when you share them.

This July, we invite you to go beyond plastic with us.
But more than that, we invite you to go beyond yourself — to ripple outward.

Because the ripple starts with you - or a possum. It could also start with a possum.