Dawn Hollister

UPS Sustainability

"Repurpose or Die Trying!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
496 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

16

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Dawn's actions

Lifestyle

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary film about waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Brusha Brusha Brusha

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Complete a Waste Audit

I will conduct a waste audit - including recyclables and compost - to understand how much waste I create and where I can reduce the most.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Travel Toiletries

If traveling, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me in a TSA approved reusable quart sized bag.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

Dawn Hollister 7/14/2019 3:12 PM

Challenge is going great!. I have made changes in other areas. I hand wash dishes instead of using the dish washer on a daily basis. I use dryer balls instead of dryer sheets now. I am looking for new ways to avoid plastic every day!

Read More
- Charles Neidenbach 7/17/2019 7:58 AM
  
  Thanks so much for sharing, Dawn!
  
  Read More
Dawn Hollister 7/14/2019 3:06 PM

I just discovered an ideal way to reduce plastic use, glass. Many items that you can purchase come in both plastic and glass bottles. For example, you could purchase a product like jelly in a glass container instead of plastic squeeze bottle. Another alternative is paper. For example you could chose a powder laundry detergent packaged in a box instead of liquid laundry detergent. I recently made the change to using dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. The one small change has saved me money $$$ and is better for the environment. Anyone else?

Read More
- Charles Neidenbach 7/23/2019 5:12 AM
  
  These are great examples, Dawn! One important piece to mention is the re-usability of glass containers. A large part of the plastic waste problem is the fact that so many plastics are single-use (aka used once and disposed). When considering the overall sustainability of a material, it is important to consider the "life-cycle" of that material. Glass is very heavy and requires a tremendous amount of energy to make. Plastic is very light (meaning less CO2 emissions in transport) and is not as energy intensive to make, but still uses petroleum as the base. The ability to use, clean and reuse glass containers (and in some cases, plastic containers) over and over again is where large strides can be made in reducing waste (think the reusable milk bottle!).
  
  Paper boxes are a great alternative! They are lightweight, can be made from post-consumer recycled content (paper) and are effective packages!
  
  Read More
Dawn Hollister 7/08/2019 8:38 PM

I went to the store to buy plastic food storage bags and decided against it because I have a couple of Olive Garden to go containers that I use instead. :)

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Dawn Hollister 7/06/2019 12:14 PM

Just got my new bamboo toothbrush and I am so excited to have made the change. 100% biodegradable, box is both compostable and biodegradable! YEAH!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit

What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

Dawn Hollister 7/04/2019 10:00 PM

Today was a challenging day with all the different types of food in preparation. Keeping in mind to minimize plastic use, I repurposed glass containers to store leftovers. I also had other plastic containers from restaurant take out that I stored left over fruits. It was a good day of minimal waste!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Watch a Documentary

Which documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?

Dawn Hollister 7/02/2019 5:29 PM

Great video on You Tube from Global Citizen. 5 Things You Can Do about Plastic Waste. Biggest stats:
1/2 of the plastic that ever existed was made AFTER 2003 (so this is not decades of old plastic in the waste cycle, oceans and landfills!
Next
The amount of plastic being dumped in the ocean is the equivalent of dumping 1 garbage truck into the ocean EVERY MINUTE. (WOW, I am just WOW). STOP IT!
The average person uses 560 plastic straws per YEAR. (That is why I just purchases a set of metal reusable straws and I love them!)
Watch the video is really makes you think about the common, everyday things that you do.

Read More
- Charles Neidenbach 7/03/2019 4:38 AM
  
  Awesome!! Thanks for sharing, Dawn!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Buy Unpackaged Produce

Why do you think these produce products started amassing so much plastic packaging? Who is the plastic packaging really serving -- the consumer, the producer, or someone else?

Dawn Hollister 7/02/2019 4:55 PM

Plastic bags made it easier for consumers to purchase multiple fruits and vegetables at one time. For the cashier, plastic bags make it easier to confirm the number of items being purchased. By making it easier for everyone else, we have made it harder on the earth to absorb those one time uses from the market to the home. A small cotton bag can easily be used, washed again and again. Hope you find a suitable bag for purchasing those fresh fruits and vegetables.

Read More
- Christi Meixner 7/08/2019 6:30 PM
  
  I also think it's a money-making ploy by the markets. Instead of buying a couple carrots, I am forced to purchase a pound, conveniently packaged in a plastic bag. Same with radishes, grapes, tomatoes, etc. And this is in the "fresh markets" that are supposed to be more sustainable :(
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Brusha Brusha Brusha

What are the benefits of switching to bamboo toothbrushes? How would you implore others in your community to make this switch as well?

Dawn Hollister 6/19/2019 4:59 PM

I know that plastic toothbrushes use lots of energy in the processing and is non-biodegradable since it takes more than a millennium to decompose. Since bamboo is a sustainable material, if the bristles are removed at time of disposal, it is the best material to be used. Imagine how many plastic toothbrushes are sitting in landfills right now! Don't add another toothbrush to the landfill!

Read More
- Christi Meixner 7/08/2019 6:32 PM
  
  I have a dentist appointment next week...going to talk with mine about the toothbrush giveaways he provides to us.
  
  Read More
- Charles Neidenbach 6/20/2019 9:48 AM
  
  Check out this alternative...shipping via LOOP!
  
  https://clic.oralb.com/en-us
  
  Read More
Dawn Hollister 6/19/2019 4:41 PM

I like to use straws when I am drinking cold beverages. I always recycle my straws and wash for reuse. This week, I finally purchased a set of metal reuse straws. I love them. I am so glad I made this purchase so that I can use my straw without the guilt of the plastic waste. YEA!

Read More