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Jen Rudolph's avatar

Jen Rudolph

National Aquarium

"Preserve the environment by monitoring my effects and taking direct action to continually effect my waste footprint. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 916 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    84
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    84
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    84
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill

Jen's actions

Family

Glass Bottle Baby

I will replace 4 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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

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

Plant a Garden

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

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

Travel Eating

If traveling, I will bring my own airplane snacks and eat at local restaurants to avoid take-out containers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 2 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Dam the Flow

I will use a menstrual cup and/or cloth pads

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

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 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Just Say No

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 3 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Share My Actions

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

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
    Personal Care Just Say No
    Do some research on polystyrene and polyvinyl. How many items in your house already contain these toxins?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:51 AM
    I included this in my waste audit, actually - there are too many for me to comfortably admit to on this feed :) I'm working on eliminating and replacing these items in my household, but I am finding there's also a financial barrier to doing it all at once. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care Dam the Flow
    Disposable tampons and menstrual pads are often quite expensive. What are the economic and personal benefits of this switch for you?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:50 AM
    I'VE SAVED SO MUCH MONEY!!!!! The "pink tax" - and, as a matter of fact, just the fact that we have to pay for these items at all, since they're necessary to live - is awful. I also feel like the inconvenience of having to add these to the wash is nothing compared to how much I'm saving each month. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Travel Eating
    Was this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:48 AM
    I only had one restaurant that said they couldn't give me my dinner in my own reusable container - they cited "health violations," which I think is suspect, but I didn't push it. All the rest of the restaurants were more than happy to oblige! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit
    What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:47 AM
    Ugh. After last year's plastic-free July, I thought I was so much better at reducing plastic waste. Unfortunately, I've found myself falling into similar patterns of using single-use plastic when I forget to pack my reusables, or if I'm running late and need the convenience. It's really tasked me with keeping myself accountable and organized. 
  • 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?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:46 AM
    To be honest, I just found it to be so much easier then having to deal with buying new products every time I traveled. I'll absolutely keep doing this!
  • 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?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:45 AM
    I'm SO excited to mention that I was able to really utilize carrying my own utensils, reusable bags, and straws when I traveled to visit family recently. My sister was so impressed - it encouraged her to try it when she traveled, too! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Natural Fibers
    What are the benefits (to people, animals, and the environment) of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:44 AM
    By purchasing products with natural fibers, we aren't filling up landfills with clothing that isn't biodegradable. Synthetic fibers take longer to break down - if they break down at all. 
  • 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?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:42 AM
    I just purchased my first set of reusable bamboo utensils to take with me in my everyday bag! I hope to be an example for my family and friends, who already have looked at me like I was crazy for pulling my own utensils out of my bag. I was able to explain how many plastic utensils I was saving from landfills--they got it! 
  • 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.

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:41 AM
    Definitely! My local coffee shop exclusively uses paper straws, now. Although this is an issue for the disability community, they make sure to have a selection of compostable straws that are able to be used by those that need them. This kind of thoughtful conservation action really means a lot to me! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusable Bags
    How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

    Jen Rudolph's avatar
    Jen Rudolph 7/05/2019 7:40 AM
    I had been using reusable bags frequently, but not exclusively. The hardest part was making sure I had reusable bags in places where I typically would pull out a plastic bag.