Stephanie Flaniken

Monterey Bay Aquarium

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
184 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

180

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

64

hours

volunteered
UP TO

4.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

2.0

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill

Stephanie's actions

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 64 hour(s) in my community.

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

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

I will prepare 2 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 2
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?

Stephanie Flaniken 7/26/2019 11:55 PM

There are still solutions to find for the occasional purchase of cheese... and the times when my undisciplined appetite has me purchasing a plastic wrapped cookie before I'm aware of my choice. 😕

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- Stephanie Flaniken 7/31/2019 9:53 PM
  
  Thank you, Diana!
  
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- Diana Guerrero 7/29/2019 11:12 AM
  
  Same challenge here. Since I want organic, I often go to the counter but even those come in large plastic wrap! I heard about a farm in Watsonville that produces fresh cheese etc., I will see if I can get the location and if they distribute. There was a source in the PG Farmer's Market at one time, you might be able to find them at another of the local ones. (Maybe MPC on Fridays).
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

Do an inventory of your kitchen to see how many single-use plastics you've used in the past. What are some resuable alternatives to these commonly used products? What would your impact be if you switched all the single-use products from your inventory to reusable?

Stephanie Flaniken 7/26/2019 11:51 PM

Today I failed my 2 cooked meals at home without plastic... We usually don't eat cheese, but had guests and made one of our favorite company dishes. We'll use the cheese again so the wrap is technically not single use - I'd still like to ditch it!
Anyone have ideas about buying cheese without plastic wrap? Do deli counters sell plain cheddar? I'll bring my own tub!

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- Diana Guerrero 7/29/2019 11:14 AM
  
  Try the Farmer's Markets as local cheese folks are around here. Also a farm up in Watsonville. I mentioned that in another comment but will see if I can get the name and if they distribute. Problem is, even those deli counter or butcher supplied logs of cheese tend to be encased in plastic versus the wax coverings that used to be standard.
  
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- Sam Peterson 7/27/2019 8:46 PM
  
  Hi, Stephanie,
  A lot of deli counters will wrap cheese in compostable butcher paper even if they won’t allow your container. That’s what I have to do but it works fine (meats, too!), and they do have various cheddars. You can get slices, blocks, whatever. Have fun ditching that plastic wrap!
  
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Stephanie Flaniken 7/25/2019 12:35 AM

Contributed our household’s foodscraps to community compost collection. Just occurred to methis probably doesn’t count🤔. We use an unlined bin...no plastic touches our food scraps! 😅

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- Jessica Chapman 7/26/2019 1:41 PM
  
  I agree with Carol. Whether you compost at home, or bring to a collection center, it still helps! Great job.
  
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- Carol White 7/25/2019 5:24 AM
  
  I don't see why not. It's still staying out of a landfill and making good compost whether it's in your backyard or somewhere else. I don't have room for composting at my place but I plan to save my food scraps and take to a local composting company.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Join a Cleanup Effort

How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?

Stephanie Flaniken 7/24/2019 11:58 PM

Contributing in a group to keep a beach clean and beautiful feels good, builds friendships and community, and stretches muscles!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Visit A Waste Management Facility

Landfills and recycling centers tell us a lot about our communities and purchasing habits. What did you glean from your visit?

Stephanie Flaniken 7/24/2019 11:52 PM

We throw away enough food to keep many gulls and crows well fed. Our community landfill center offers a resale shop that is profitable, well used, and keeps many good items out of landfill. The digester produces methane that provides energy for the utility, and contributes to the composting facility also housed there. Compost and wood chips can be purchased at decent prices for gardening and landscaping. Our county’s waste management landfill has space for 100 years of waste...if we refuse and reduce, perhaps it can be used even longer.

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