Debbie Engelhardt

New York Aquarium

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
102 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

disposable cup

not sent to the landfill

Debbie's actions

Food

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Use a Reusable Mug / Collapsible Cup

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own collapsible cup.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Lobby for Reusables

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.

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
Food Minimize Packaging

With the added mindfulness of reducing your packaging, what have you noticed about the amount and type of single use plastics used for packaging when you shop in the grocery store?

Debbie Engelhardt 7/13/2019 8:15 AM

I focus on buying #1 and #2, which are the only kind currently recycled in my Town. Some plastics are not recyclable at all and I avoid buying those altogether.

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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?

Debbie Engelhardt 7/13/2019 8:12 AM

Consumers need to get away from demanding perfection in the appearance of produce. A blemish here or there, a speck of earth that needs washing off (we should wash our produce anyway just to be "safe"); these may come with the use of little/no packaging, but so what if the benefits to the environment far outweigh these small "inconveniences"?

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Bags

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

Debbie Engelhardt 7/13/2019 8:05 AM

I need to remember to NOT take the produce bags!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use a Reusable Mug / Collapsible Cup

Great job on getting rid of your disposable cup habit! How does it make you feel? What's next on your list to reduce your waste?

Debbie Engelhardt 7/13/2019 7:18 AM

I feel more efficient when I reuse and avoid sending a cup to the trash heap. If I buy a drink on the run, I now choose a metal can or glass bottle over plastic.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Lobby for Reusables

What are some of the cases you could make to an employer for why switching to durable dishes and utensils is actually in their best interest as well?

Debbie Engelhardt 7/13/2019 7:16 AM

Saves money in reducing purchasing and reducing the amount of trash carted; helps fulfill employee and public expectation that our business is adhering to the triple bottom line re: sustainability.

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