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Beth Casagrande
"Have courage and be kind. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 295 THIS WEEK
- 1,165 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO65minutesspent learning
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UP TO78pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO1,020minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO104plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO10poundswaste avoided
Beth's actions
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.
Study
Recycle My Tech
There's value in our old electronics! This month, I will properly recycle any old laptops, tablets, cell phones, or other electronics I have lying around so the raw materials can be reused and reduce demand for virgin materials - thereby also protecting critical wildlife habitat for animals such as gorillas and forest elephants.
Kitchen
Skip Plastic Bags
Whenever possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags. I will either use my own reusable bags, or keep my items loose.
Study
Investigate Oil Subsidies
Our tax dollars are subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, making the cost of plastics artificially low and encouraging further plastics production. I will spend 30 minutes learning about oil subsidies and how I can advocate for their elimination.
Study
Plastic History Buff
Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.
Bedroom
Declutter Sustainably
While it can be tempting to throw away (or drop off at Goodwill) any and everything that no longer brings us joy, there are so many options that are better for the planet! This month, I will declutter my home and properly dispose or re-home the things I no longer want.
Bathroom
See the Green
An estimated 50,000lbs (23,000kg) of contact lenses end up in sewage sludge in the US each year. This month, I will learn how to recycle used contact lenses and packaging or switch to wearing glasses instead.
Kitchen
Fight Local Food Waste
Who says saving money and saving the planet don't go together? Using an app like Too Good To Go or Flashfood, I'll help rescue food from local bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores that would otherwise go to waste.
Community
Keep My Community Clean
In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.
Community
Go For a Walk
Science has shown that focused time in nature calms our over-worked frontal lobe and gives space for the areas of our brain associated with emotions, pleasure, and empathy to take over, providing a sense of calm that is measurable in brain scans and even blood tests. Each day this month, I will spend 20 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.
Bedroom
Mend and Repair
We've all got it - that thing in the back of our closet we keep saying we'll fix "one day." I will make today that day by learning how to mend or repair ripped or broken items in my home - or by finding a local offering to do it for me.
Bathroom
A Greener Shower
Most conventional shower curtain liners are made from polyvinyl chloride (or PVC), which contains chlorine, phthalates, and plasticizers, and typically need replaced often. When it's time to replace my shower curtain liner, I will replace it with a plastic-free option and research the best ways to care for it.
Kitchen
Take the pre-survey!
Help us make the Plastic Free Ecochallenge the best it can be! Take the challenge pre-survey (and look out for the post-survey at the end of the challenge!) so we can better understand the impact the challenge has and how we can improve in the future. Plus, you'll earn points for completing it! Thank you!
Kitchen
Choose Reusable Food Storage
I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).
Kitchen
Plant a Garden
I will plant an herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.
Kitchen
Give Veggie Scraps Another Life
Vegetable broth cartons are not easily recycled and often not accepted for recycling at all. To avoid or reduce my use of these cartons, I will save my vegetable scraps and fresh herb stems to make homemade vegetable broth instead.
Kitchen
Save Jars for Reuse
Pinterest may want you to think that you need a cupboard full of matching mason jars, but reusing what we already have is one of the best ways to reduce our waste. This month, instead of recycling glass jars (such as pasta sauce, pickles, and salsa jars), I will save them to reuse for food storage.
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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Beth Casagrande 7/26/2024 6:25 AMOnly a few days left! We can do this team!!! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONKitchen Choose Reusable Food StorageHow can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?
Beth Casagrande 7/26/2024 6:25 AMFor ziploc bags I have been reusing them for about a week with the same item for work before disposing of it, along with the reusable rubbermaid containers I've been using. I also have been filling reusable bottles with filtered water and keeping them in the fridge for easy access like a plastic water bottle would give. -
Beth Casagrande 7/25/2024 10:42 AM"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
- Jane Goodall -
REFLECTION QUESTIONKitchen Save Jars for ReuseWhat's the most creative way you've reused a jar in your home?
Beth Casagrande 7/24/2024 6:27 AMI repurposed two jam jars for loose leaf tea storage and painted them. I also reused 3 candle jars for a pencil holder, a hair tie holder, and a bobby-pin holder -
Beth Casagrande 7/24/2024 6:25 AM“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
― Rachel Carson -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Keep My Community CleanHow does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Beth Casagrande 7/20/2024 7:31 AMIt has made me more aware of litter on the side of the road and in my general landscape. I was able to visit Captain Trash Wheel and Mr. Trash Wheel back in June and saw just how much litter makes its way to the Inner Harbor and it was truly eye-opening. It's so important that we make sure trash gets to the proper place so it doesn't end up in our oceans or affecting wildlife -
Beth Casagrande 7/19/2024 9:29 AM"The environment is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become."
- Lady Bird Johnson (Speech at Yale University, Oct. 9, 1967) -
Beth Casagrande 7/13/2024 12:53 PM"And if no one takes too much, there will always be enough.
She will always fill our cups, and we will always raise them up,
To the world we dream about, and the one we live in now"
- Orpheus from Hadestown -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Go For a WalkWhat have you noticed about your mental and/or physical health while going on daily walks? How has it affected other areas of your life?
Beth Casagrande 7/13/2024 6:35 AMI have greatly enjoyed being outside and feel more at peace when I am out in nature. I have also enjoyed identifying birds with the Merlin app! I have 11 species identified so far -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBedroom Mend and RepairTime to brag! Show us a photo of what you repaired and tell us about the experience!
Beth Casagrande 7/12/2024 9:36 AMI had two pairs of pants that were missing buttons that I was able to repair, and I had a purse where the lining was ripped, and I was able to use fabric glue to fix it.-
Kerrigan Cesar 7/13/2024 7:15 AMLoveee!
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