Kerrie Kovaleski

Maryland Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
808 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

112

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

42

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

36

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill

Kerrie's actions

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 8 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Pets

Pet Waste

I will spend 20 minutes learning how to compost pet waste at home or research pet waste composting services available in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 15
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 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 2 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 18
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?

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?

Kerrie Kovaleski 7/29/2019 2:59 PM

Sometimes, when all the options seems to be in plastic (like yogurt) I just choose not to buy anything. It's easy enough to add a weekly stop at a farmers market for veggies, but I may need to totally change the store I choose based on the types of packaging they offer...that's where the decisions get big, and will take some time.

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- MC Mandolia 7/30/2019 5:15 AM
  
  You could always try to make your own yogurt! There are recipes for making yogurt in slow cookers or instant pots. But I understand how that can be intimidating... It's always something that I mean to do and haven't done yet. Maybe buy yogurt at the farmer's market and then bring the clean container back for them to reuse?
  
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Kerrie Kovaleski 7/28/2019 1:33 PM

Fun fact from UberFacts: Peeing in the shower instead of the toilet just once a day can save up to 2,500 liters of water per year (per person).

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Kerrie Kovaleski 7/25/2019 12:57 PM

Finally got to the Druid Hill Park farmer's market yesterday. For $16, I got a huge bag of produce: two kinds of squash and four Italian eggplants for the tortoises, green beans for the dogs, and two kinds of tomatoes and a cucumber for me, and ZERO plastic! The people were so nice (bumped into Kat Mantsouris!) and the setting is lovely, and I will try to get there every week.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

Kerrie Kovaleski 7/23/2019 8:39 AM

This has been my best takeaway of the month and something I will certainly keep up. I just moved to a new neighborhood and I get very friendly greetings from people who see me picking up trash. It's easy because I'm already walking my dogs. I need to remember "if in doubt, throw it out" so I'm not tempted to leave the really squashed and dirty plastics- thanks to Sinclair for the pep talk!

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Kerrie Kovaleski 7/22/2019 6:37 AM

Got some amazing tomatoes and other veggies at the Amish market this weekend! I keep trying to get to the Druid Hill Park farmer's market but it's either mobbed with people or a torrential downpour.

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Kerrie Kovaleski 7/18/2019 8:10 AM

How far do you all go to recycle trash you pick up on the street? This has some creepy liquid inside and needs to be cleaned up before recycling; sometimes bottles with labels and lids are crushed and need a lot of work. Am I actually helping if I just pick it up and toss it in the garbage?

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- Sinclair Boggs 7/21/2019 2:29 PM
  
  Yes you are sill helping!! Even if it goes in the garbage, you are still helping keep it from heading straight into waterways and eventually the ocean in the next big rainstorm. Recycling reps typically say “when in doubt throw it out” because good-intentioned recycling of spoiled or non-recyclable items causes more waste than throwing one thing out because it can contaminate an entire load/bale of recycling.
  
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Kerrie Kovaleski 7/15/2019 5:45 AM

I was picking up my 8 pieces of trash this morning while walking my dogs. I just moved so I don't know most of my neighbors yet. An elderly man saw me and thanked me for cleaning up, said he saw me doing it all the time. I guess that's a pretty good way to get to know people.

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Kerrie Kovaleski 7/09/2019 6:46 AM

I just upped my trash goal from 3 pieces to 8, because once you start looking you see it everywhere. I just need bigger hands.

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Kerrie Kovaleski 6/24/2019 10:07 AM

I have some chocolate bars wrapped in plastic. I should eat those all up today so the plastic is gone by July...

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