

Kelly Dillow
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 2,495 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO5.0poundswaste avoided
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UP TO106pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO35pounds of paperhave been saved
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UP TO3.0public officials or leaderscontacted
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UP TO557minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO26minutesspent learning
Kelly's actions
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!
Bathroom
Bidet All Day
The average American uses about 141 rolls of toilet paper each year, most of which is wrapped in plastic film. To cut down on my toilet paper usage, I will install a bidet in my bathroom.
Bedroom
Proper Clothing Care
All those symbols on our clothes, sheets, and towels actually have meanings! To ensure that I'm caring for my clothes properly, I will spend 5 minutes learning what the care symbols mean and laundry best practices to make all of my textiles last as long as possible.
Family + Pets
Embrace Imperfection
Eliminating 100% of all plastic from our lives simply isn't possible. Throughout this month, I will embrace imperfection in my plastic-free journey while exploring and testing new ways to reduce my plastic footprint.
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.
Study
Buy Only What I Need
I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.
Bedroom
Rethink Returns
While most stores offer lenient return policies, what actually happens to all of those returns? I will spend 10 minutes learning about what happens to returns and how I can make better purchasing decisions to avoid returns in the future.
Family + Pets
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.
Community
Write Letters, Emails or Sign Petitions
I will write or sign 1 letters, emails or petitions per day to advocate for plastic-free or planet-friendly policies.
Bathroom
Use What You Have
The only thing worse than a single-use item is a zero-use item! I will use (and use up) what I already have in my home before buying something new.
Bedroom
Recycling Textiles
Every single textile ever made will, at some point, become worn out - and dealing with that waste costs millions of tax dollars every year. I will spend 10 minutes learning about the different types of textile recycling and creating a plan for what I'll do with my clothes and other textiles when they are too worn out to use anymore.
Community
Keep My Community Clean
In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 3 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.
Community
Learn about Environmental Justice
Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 10 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.
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.
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 10 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.
Participant Feed
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBathroomThere are many benefits to using a bidet, including health, environmental, and economic benefits. Which of these benefits was most influential for you in making the switch to a bidet, and what has your experience been like since?
Kelly Dillow 7/30/2024 7:16 AMMany years ago my brother in law got a bidet and my (young) daughter refused to poop anywhere else for about 3 months. Since then we have been fans of bidets but it took this challenge to finally get one for myself. We are excited about finally being bidet people at home! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStudyBesides reusing materials, what are some other environmental, societal, and economical benefits of recycling our old electronics?
Kelly Dillow 7/29/2024 9:59 AMThe metals needed for electronics cause environmental and social harm from mining. By recycling electronics properly, we can reduce those harms as well as reduce costs associated with virgin production. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunityWhat did you and your family learn about environmental justice? What questions came up for you? What feelings?
Kelly Dillow 7/26/2024 11:28 AMMy main thought is that I hope that the anti-DEIA rhetoric in politics doesn't affect environmental justice movements. As always, inequity is heartbreaking, and I felt sad reminded of all the different ways that people with less power are affected negatively by people with more power. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBedroomTextile recycling is incredibly complicated for a myriad of reasons. After learning about the textile recycling process, how has your relationship with your clothing changed?
Kelly Dillow 7/19/2024 12:40 PMI wouldn't say that my relationship with clothing has changed rather it just reinforces my existing habits with clothing. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBedroomHow has learning what happens to returns influenced how you make purchasing decisions?
Kelly Dillow 7/18/2024 2:36 PMI am pretty lazy and have learned already that I am unlikely to return items, so I rarely buy things online. I have also seen first-hand from my previous job the impact of returns in landfills (although I did not realize the extent of the problem). I don't think this info will change my behavior any, but I do still find it valuable to have learned more! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBedroomCompared to your previous experiences with decluttering, how was this experience with sustainable decluttering different?
Kelly Dillow 7/17/2024 1:01 PMEven though I know better, I typically donate all my items to Goodwill because it is easy. I worked with a friend to donate some items that were specifically requested by a neighbor in need, and I posted other items for free. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunityHow might thinking creatively help us address big systems problems - like plastic pollution - differently?
Kelly Dillow 7/17/2024 12:56 PMWe have a tendency to think that there is one big solution to problems, and creative thinking helps us get out of that mindset. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBedroomFast fashion depends on consumers buying into constantly changing trends, only wearing their clothes a handful of times, then tossing and buying more. How can you combat those influences to create a more sustainable wardrobe you'll love, value, and care for long-term?
Kelly Dillow 7/11/2024 2:19 PMI think there are probably a lot of different strategies for this from developing a unique style that you feel good in to avoiding consuming too much media around trends to purchasing "timeless" clothing (I still feel like that is a scam??). For me I just don't buy new things until my current things wear out. A lot of times that means I am not fashionable, but I enjoy the freedom that can come with not worrying about that. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBathroomBesides the economic benefits of using the things we already own, how can this practice impact our lives in other ways and influence the way we interact with "things"?
Kelly Dillow 7/09/2024 2:01 PMThings take on less allure, which is helpful financially and environmentally, but I think also for emotional health as well. A culture of consumerism takes advantage of the existing human nature to hoard resources, but also manipulates our sense of inadequacy by promising that a purchase is going to change us in some way. Using what we have can in some ways be a form of self-love, because we are already good enough! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStudyAs 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?
Kelly Dillow 7/09/2024 1:57 PMI have been a neurotic level under spender for as long as I can remember, so this was not a huge adjustment for me. So far what I have noticed the most is how sad I am that I have to use up all of my tea before I can buy new tea. It has been good to use up things I already have but to go from a delicious morning chai to peppermint has been ALMOST as devastating as single use plastics. In general, I think paying attention to my unnecessary spending/purchasing is such a great practice for the planet and my finances.