

Carissa Thiel
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,291 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO555minutesspent learning
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UP TO1.0community eventhosted or attended
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UP TO145pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO13plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
Carissa's actions
Create Your Own Action
Candy Waste Free
For this challenge I will avoid the small candy stored in our office. The goal is to limit small wrappings and make healthier choices.
Food
Shop the Bulk Bins
I will purchase dry goods from the bulk section of my grocery store, and use my own containers to do so.
Food
Start Composting
I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school.
Lifestyle
Watch a Documentary
I will watch a documentary film about waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.
Personal Care
Fresh as a Daisy
I will use deodorant either from a bar or a jar or I will make my own.
Lifestyle
Homemade Cleaners
I will make my own cleaning products at home.
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.
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.
Community
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.
Food
Takeout Pro
I will use my own containers when ordering takeout.
Personal Care
Pearly Whites
I will purchase toothpaste in an aluminum tube or in a glass jar or make my own!
Personal Care
See the Green
I will properly recycle used contact lenses and packaging.
Lifestyle
Natural Fibers
When available, I will purchase clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.
Community
Keep My Community Clean
I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day.
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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REFLECTION QUESTIONPersonal CareCurrently most of the packaging for toothpaste is plastic. How can you advocate for more alternatives through your purchasing power and influence in community?
Carissa Thiel 7/31/2019 1:57 PMI think social media platforms are a great way to get others involved in limiting daily plastics. Others are more likely to try making their own toothpaste if they find an easy recipe with suggestions from others -
Carissa Thiel 7/30/2019 10:56 AMI recently tried a SheaMoisture facial product because the container was glass over plastic. I really like the gel type moisturizer! However after looking at their site not all products are in glass. They do use mostly natural ingredients and do no animal testing, which is great to have in beauty products. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyleWhat are the benefits (to people, animals, and the environment) of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers?
Carissa Thiel 7/30/2019 10:55 AMReducing synthetic material can have many benefits, including keeping smaller particles from breaking down into our water sources when washing. I prefer buying second-hand over newer clothing, and that decreases the amount of energy used to create new products. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyleWhich documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?
Carissa Thiel 7/29/2019 1:11 PMI watched a small documentary called "Living without Plastic." The family was focused more on the chemical issues of plastic over the waste, and started to make a lot of their own products. It was honest about the issues (the toddler spit out the homemade toothpaste with a gross face) and emphasized how tough it is to avoid plastic. I learned the small choices do matter, and we shouldn't stop trying to teach others, even if our plastic-free products come wrapped in plastic! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFoodHow has buying bulk impacted the quality of the food you receive? Why do you think Western society relies more on prepackaged foods rather than buying in bulk?
Carissa Thiel 7/24/2019 2:49 PMBuying bulk doesn't increase the quality of food I receive, but I think that's more reflective of my diet choices (mostly fresh produce) than Western society. People want easy access food, and prepackaged helps save money from wasting fresh produce. -
Carissa Thiel 7/22/2019 11:27 AMDoes anyone have recommendations for eco-friendly workout gear? I usually prefer to shop second-hand but not for items that get so sweaty!-
David Kroll 7/23/2019 3:25 PM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyleWhat did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?
Carissa Thiel 7/17/2019 11:45 AMI create the most waste when I plan for friends visiting and times when I would want a lot of snacks (ie waiting for a hurricane). I can reduce the most by limiting the processed food I purchase and re-evaluating easy access snack items.-
Jamie Broussard 7/17/2019 12:56 PMWoah doing a waste audit during hurricane prep would not be pretty for me! Way to go on following through.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyleWhat did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?
Carissa Thiel 7/17/2019 11:44 AMMaking my own cleaning products limited the amount of chemicals I come in contact with, which I prefer. For me the biggest difference is understanding a different concept of "clean" to figure out what smaller jobs I can use less product for. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunityIn what ways is social media an effective tool for sharing your values?
Carissa Thiel 7/15/2019 10:53 AMSocial media is an effective tool because you can reach a wide, diverse audience. SciComm is an expanding field, and social media helps connect scientists across the world. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFoodHow could you mitigate issues that may arise if the restaurant does not want to let you use your own containers at first?
Carissa Thiel 7/13/2019 5:16 PMTurn it into a conversation instead of a lecture. Many restaurants are interested in why we make the extra effort we do and are more likely to listen if we're patient with our words