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Laurieann Phalen's avatar

Laurieann Phalen

Across the Waters

"“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Seuss - The Lorax."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,333 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    150
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    279
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    264
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    63
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    93
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill

Laurieann's actions

Food

Use Reusable Water Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Natural Fibers

When available, I will purchase clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Visit A Waste Management Facility

I will visit a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about the waste stream.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 3 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 9 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden in my home, workplace, or community garden

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusables at Work

I will use reusable dishes and silverware when eating at work.

COMPLETED 31
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

Lifestyle

Travel Smart

If traveling, I will bring my own plastic free items (water bottle, grocery bags, collapsible food containers, utensils, straws, etc.) with me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Watch a Documentary
    Which documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:37 AM
    I watched a documentary on where our plastic wastes go  - to third world countries. It was heartbreaking to see children and women being exposed to such dangerous working conditions - and earning pennies per day.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Travel Smart
    How can/did you prepare to be successful in this action? Did you engage in conversation with anyone about your new habit?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:35 AM
    Traveling smart involves mapping out a plan/strategy.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Travel Toiletries
    What is the benefit of using bar soaps or refilling your travel sized containers? Is this an action you think you will keep in your life?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:33 AM
    First, it is much less expensive - and once you buy travel sized containers, you don't have to keep consuming small bottles - hopefully the market for them will decrease.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Homemade Cleaners
    What did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:31 AM
    I became deathly allergic to the artificial fragrances in cleaning products, so I had to learn how to make my own. Making is much less expensive, and you have control over what you are exposing your body to.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Natural Fibers
    What are the benefits (to people, animals, and the environment) of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:30 AM
    Sustainability is the benefit to purchasing clothes made of natural fibers.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusable Containers
    How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:29 AM
    If you have to use disposables, make sure they are biodegradable.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusable Water Bottles
    Using the links provided, investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed by this bottling process?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:28 AM
    The best way to advocate for the rights of others is through education, and respecting the point of view of others - even if you think they are not right.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusables at Work
    It is often true that we only have control over our own actions and not the collective community. How can you lead by example when it comes to switching disposables for reusable dishes in your community?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:26 AM
    The best way to make a difference is through education.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Skip the Straw
    Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:26 AM
    Some restaurants do not offer straws and you have to ask for them. A sad thing is that while people know about straws & sea turtles, they will use a straw and make a joke about killing a sea turtle.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusable Utensils
    How can you be an advocate for using resusables instead of disposables for the rest of your community? Where are they currently dependent on disposable cutlery, and how can you convince them of the need for change?

    Laurieann Phalen's avatar
    Laurieann Phalen 7/31/2019 3:24 AM
    Education is always the place to start when advocating the use of an item in place of an existing one. The university where I work uses disposables - and due to cost and convenience, it will be a hard sell for them to make a switch.