Plastic-Free MKE, a volunteer group dedicated to reducing single-use plastic in the Milwaukee area, holds meetings on the first Monday of each month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Urban Ecology Center’s Riverside Park location. Meetings provide a forum for people to share ideas and tips for reducing plastic use, and the group is involved in several initiatives to encourage people to change consumer habits regarding disposable plastic packaging. The group’s next meeting takes place February 4.

Since forming in August, Plastic-Free MKE has visited restaurants to open dialogue about using more sustainable products, and they’ve participated in Boomerang Bags, an effort that began in Australia in which volunteers sew cloth bags for stores to keep on hand for customers that don’t have their own reusable bags. People that borrow Boomerang Bags return them at their next visit for others to also use.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/groups/1563887780522525 or GreatLakes.org/plastic-free.