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K M's avatar

K M

Monterey Bay Aquarium

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,090 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    40
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    933
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1,302
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    4.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

K's actions

Family + Pets

Natural Paints

I will paint rooms in my home with low/no VOC or natural paints.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Follow the Chasing Arrows

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 20 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Learn about Plastic Production

Plastic production, not just disposal, pollutes communities and harms people. I will learn about the impacts of plastic production on humans, animals, communities, and the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

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

Study

Estimate Your Ecological Footprint

I will calculate my ecological footprint, and from the results brainstorm and take action on ways I can reduce my annual footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Say No to "Flushable Wipes"

Wipes don't break down in sewer systems, but combine with fat to create massive clogs. I will find alternatives to using disposable wipes.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Natural Fibers

When available, I will purchase clothing and bedding made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Learn about Environmental Justice

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 30 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

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

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Become a Recycling Pro

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 20 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Support a Sharing Economy

I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Advocate For Better Food Packaging

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Advocate for Plastic-Free Dining

I will talk to the owner or manager of a restaurant I frequent to request that they reduce their use of single-use and disposable plastics.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Discover Together

I will spend 30 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

DIY Cat Litter

I will swap out my cat's litter for sawdust, mulch, or dirt with baking soda.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Homemade or Refillable Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products or choose plastic-free, refillable options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Try a New Recipe

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Cook a Plastic Free Meal

I will prepare meals at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Minimize Packaging

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

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
    Study Buy Only What I Need
    As you have reduced your spending, what have you noticed about your 'health and safety' purchasing habits? How might this change your longer term purchasing decisions?

    K M's avatar
    K M 7/01/2023 6:52 PM
    When we moved this past September, I found myself spending so much money to replace things we had to leave behind in our move or buying new things for our new apartment. Then the holidays hit and we were buying gifts for co-workers, co-volunteers, family, and friends. After the new year passed, our spending went down significantly, but I am still guilty of indulging occasionally in unnecessary items, especially if they can save me time and labor. I'm trying to be better about this, especially because I should be saving up rather than spending.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Try a New Recipe
    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?

    K M's avatar
    K M 7/01/2023 6:49 PM
    I always love cooking and I enjoy making new recipes. As someone with high blood pressure, it is important for me to watch my sodium intake. So, having control over the amount of salt added to recipes or the ability to select low-sodium ingredients is a big benefit for me when it comes to my health as well as making something new and delicious.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen 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?

    K M's avatar
    K M 7/01/2023 6:47 PM
    My largest hurdle in significantly curbing my plastic packaging from the store is the frozen veggies and snacks I buy. A lot of what I buy comes in cardboard boxes, cans, glass jars, or, in the case of produce, I have reusable bags for. My favorite vegan meat substitutes only come in plastic bags and I buy snacks for myself to avoid the junk food on the boat I work on. I am hoping once I graduate this fall, I will be able to find more free time to come up with easy recipes that are low labor, inexpensive, and reduce my plastic packaging.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom Say No to "Flushable Wipes"
    Even though they are marketed as "flushable," disposable wipes do not disintegrate in water or the sewer system, and actually release microplastics into our waterways. How does it feel to learn this information? What do you want to do about it?

    K M's avatar
    K M 7/01/2023 6:44 PM
    This has been a surprising challenge over the years as I thought it would be easy to get rid of them. I switched from face wipes to reusable cotton clothes, ditched cleaning wipes, and exchanged hand wipes for gentle hand sanitizer. Despite this, I keep ending up with them in my home. This time, it is for my elderly cat who is having trouble using the litterbox. My vet recommended these gentle wipes for him to clean waste from his fur, but even though the package says the wipes are "biodegradable and compostable", I know these are often useless buzzwords. Plus, the packaging is all plastic. I am looking into if I can make a gentle cleanser that I can apply to a reusable cotton cloth as a substitute for wipes, but wading through the questionable information people post on the internet is its own challenge.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Keep My Community Clean
    How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

    K M's avatar
    K M 7/01/2023 6:37 PM
    So many people in Monterey are environmentally-minded, it's not hard to come across others who are cleaning up or who will join in if they see you picking up trash to help you. It is a stark difference from what I've experienced in other places where I've lived. I think it really bonds the community together, this mutual love for protecting the environment, even when we're complete strangers. I don't think I've ever enjoyed cleaning up trash as much as I do here because I often have positive experiences with either locals or even tourists who are passing through.