Manasa Sreeram

Reid Park Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
299 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

180

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

5.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Manasa's actions

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

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Start Composting

I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make Your Own

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 6
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?

Manasa Sreeram 7/07/2019 12:25 PM

I joined this challenge as since I was young I had a deep passion for aiding in the preservation of our planet and the diverse ecosystems it homes. I aspire to become an environmental lawyer when I grow up, but I don't want to wait until the future to begin making an impact. I want to start doing all the small tasks I can accomplish now in order to begin my journey towards environmental change.

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- Carrie Dean 7/10/2019 2:05 PM
  
  Good for you for developing good habits and getting involved now!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Containers

How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

Manasa Sreeram 7/05/2019 4:44 PM

There are many means through which you can craft an old belonging or item into a reusable container/bag. For example, you can turn a used milk carton into a bag. It's a fun and crafty means of recycling.

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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?

Manasa Sreeram 7/05/2019 10:47 AM

I believe the purpose of plastic packaging is simply for convenience. It's cheap and easy to produce, so producers can sell it in mass and reap from it a hefty profit. As it is so commonly dispersed in many stores people automatically use it as there aren't many other substitutes they are aware of or that are as easily accessible to them. Due to the copious amounts of packaging out there, customers don't need to worry about bringing from home or buying their own reusable packaging, so it seems easier to them to simply use the pre-existing plastic packaging. If you look at it from up close you can see that the inherent laziness that plagues most people plays a crucial factor in their use of plastics.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Make Your Own

How do you feel about being more involved in the food preparation process? Joyful, overwhelmed, engaged, empowered? What are the benefits of choosing to process or produce your own food instead of buying it pre-processed?

Manasa Sreeram 7/05/2019 10:41 AM

I feel quite capable now that I've learned how to prepare certain foods by hand. I feel that this is an essential life skill that will definitely aid me in the future when I move out into the world on my own. Not only will it save me money but will also reassure me that what I am putting into my body is subject to my own control, whereas if I were to buy pre-processed food, there are many other factors to be considered.

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