K T
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,302 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO6.0conversationswith people
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO90minutesspent learning
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UP TO6.0plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO53plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
K's actions
Food
Buy Unpackaged Produce
I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.
Family
Glass Bottle Baby
I will replace 6 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.
Family
Swap the Snacks
I will swap out 1 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.
Food
Minimize Packaging
I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
Food
Advocate For More Food Packaging Options
I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.
Food
Lobby for Reusables
I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.
Food
Use Reusable Bags
I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.
Personal Care
Pearly Whites
I will purchase toothpaste in an aluminum tube or in a glass jar or make my own!
Lifestyle
Watch a Documentary
I will watch a documentary film about waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.
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?
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K T 7/30/2019 8:27 AMI hope everyone has enjoyed the challenge, and likely you've picked up some great new habits! Thanks for all your hard work in trying to make a difference. Every Single Effort Counts. Never forget that.-
Michelle Alexander 7/30/2019 1:11 PMThis has been a great was to raise awareness and even develop new habits! I am continuing the challenge by starting one through my family. I think it will be fun, educational & competitive. There is no such thing as small change!!!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFamily Glass Bottle BabyHow can you take your commitment to sustainable living beyond yourself and your family? How can you, personally, work toward broader change?
K T 7/22/2019 8:45 AMFor this section, I didn't change out baby bottles, but instead swapped my plastic hand soaps and cleaning spray bottles for glass bottles to refill at our local zero waste market. I feel really good about making this change, especially with the hand soaps.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPersonal Care Pearly WhitesCurrently most of the packaging for toothpaste is plastic. How can you advocate for more alternatives through your purchasing power and influence in community?
K T 7/19/2019 12:43 PMWell this was different, but I don't hate it! lol
The clay-based toothpaste comes in a glass jar and is refillable at our local waste-free shop, The Zero Market.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Use Reusable BagsHow difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
K T 7/17/2019 7:10 PMThis was super easy. My main area of focus here was everything outside of a grocery store. I already use reusable bags at the grocery store, but it was the other places that I needed to build habits around... I'm looking at you Target. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Advocate For More Food Packaging OptionsSingle use plastics have become normalized in our society to the point that most people don't see them as a problem. What would you say to a friend, colleague, or family member who may not understand why these disposables are an issue?
K T 7/17/2019 7:09 PMInstead of trying to change someone's mind, I ask them to try and change mine. Why do you need that plastic bag? Then when they give me reasons, I offer alternatives. It doesn't really work, because people like what they like and they don't realize what a mess we're currently in with the amount of waste that has piled up. I'll drop hints here and there, but overall I don't push the issue too hard. I just lead by example and hope others see how easy it can be.-
K T 7/17/2019 7:12 PMI guess that's not entirely true... my whole job is centered around "pushing the issue" of ongoing sustainable changes. lol
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Minimize PackagingWith 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?
K T 7/11/2019 12:27 PMI wish there were alternative options for blueberries and baby spinach in produce. I'm also finding difficulties in my habit of buying frozen fruit and veggies. But it doesn't stop there. Plastic is everywhere in my typical shop: bagged coffee, chips, olive bar, bread! We have a long way to go to replace these items. In the meantime, I have found solace in the idea that I will replace where I can, and I just ordered glass refill bottles (sprays and pumps) for household cleaning products and hand soaps for our sinks. I want to offset my usage of plastic where ever I can. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Buy Unpackaged ProduceWhy 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?
K T 7/10/2019 12:11 PMI think plastic wrapped produce is the result of many factors; customer convenience when it's pre-chopped, product longevity, organic integrity, merchandising opportunities, and more. The bigger pain point for me is how people rely on plastic roll bags for multiple units of larger fruits and vegetables. We don't need to put our produce in plastic bags in order to bring it home. Just put the apples in your basket and bring it to the register. Just because the bags are there, doesn't mean people have to use them. Green beans, Brussels sprouts... i get it, but things like apples, oranges, avocados, etc. No. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyle Watch a DocumentaryWhich documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?
K T 7/09/2019 8:50 PMI just watched A Plastic Ocean... wow. It's powerful to say the least. I cannot describe what I have learned because I am overwhelmed with all the feels that it brings up inside. We have a lot of work to do. -
REFLECTION QUESTION
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Lobby for ReusablesWhat 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?
K T 7/09/2019 7:05 AMWorking on options for the cafe that include reusable flatware and water cups. Down the road we're hoping to incorporate reusable plates into the food bars. It's a process, but it will happen!!