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Sammie Hawk

The Maryland Zoo

"Make the world a greener place one action at a time! (:"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,185 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    80
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    15
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    9.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    40
    minutes
    spent learning

Sammie's actions

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

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.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

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.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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).

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Go Strawless

Each year, the International Coastal Cleanup reports that plastic straws and stirrers are one of the Top 10 most-collected items from their cleanups (top 5 in the US!). I will keep 1 plastic straws and/or stirrers out of the landfill each day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Greenwashing Pro

Greenwashing can fool even the most experienced eco-advocate. This month, I will spend 20 minutes learning what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and what I can do about it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Fill a Water Bottle

Bottled water corporations make plastic bottles, not water. If the tap water in my area is safe for consumption, I will use a reusable bottle instead and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottles a day.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Thoughtful Toys

I will only buy cloth, wooden or plant-based natural rubber toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Print in Draft Mode

To extend the life of my ink cartridges, I will set my printer default to draft mode to use less ink or toner per print job.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Share my "why"

I will record a 15-20 second video sharing why I am taking action for the planet.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Study

Borrowed Books

The average paperback book has the same carbon footprint of driving about 7 miles (11 km) in an average car. Instead of purchasing new books this month, I will borrow books, e-books, and/or audiobooks from my local library or library-affiliated apps, or host a book swap with my friends.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Numbers Everywhere

The numbers #1-7 on plastics tell us a lot - and can help us be better recyclers. I will learn what these numbers mean and which types of plastics are accepted for recycling in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 20 minutes learning about oil subsidies and how I can advocate for their elimination.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Plastic History Buff

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 Estimate Your Ecological Footprint
    What did you learn about your ecological footprint by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you? What are some ways you will take action to reduce your footprint?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:46 PM
    I wasn't surprised by a lot of it because I drive around a lot, don't carpool much, eat meat a lot, etc. However, I was surprised by how many earths we would need if everyone lived like me. I knew it wouldn't be great, but I didn't think it would be this bad- I think I was at like 7 earths? However, even gradual, small actions can add up to reduce this number. The best way to reduce my footprint will be to take actions one at a time, starting with something simple like eating 1-2 meatless meals a week.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study Print in Draft Mode
    What are some other ways you can extend the life of your printer ink cartridges?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:37 PM
    If you're making something to print, avoid using fully colored shapes! It sounds really simple, but one of the documents I regularly copy has large, colored blocks on it, so even before the ecochallenge I put my printer on draft every time I copied it. Unfortunately, I did not make it myself so it's not an easy fix, but once I get a chance I'll remake it myself with only outlines.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Family + Pets Mend and Repair
    Time to brag! Show us a photo of what you repaired and tell us about the experience!

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:34 PM
    This month we repaired some of my dog's stuffed toys. He doesn't destroy them on purpose, but he's a pretty big dog and can play rough, so we needed to stitch up some of his favorites. It might not last forever because some of the fabric was a little frayed but keeping the toys out of the landfill for even a few months is a start, especially because most of them use synthetic fabrics and stuffing.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Family + Pets Thoughtful Toys
    Does your child play differently with natural or repurposed toys than with other toys? If so, how?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:30 PM
    I do this for my pet, not a child. The main thing my dog does differently is that a lot of the recycled toys we use are things for him to destroy, while he is not a destroyer with his other stuffies or bones (other than normal wear and tear). Although this limits the use of the toys, giving garbage like paper towel rolls one more use before they go to the landfill while giving my dog a fun activity is a win-win.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Plant a Garden
    Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:21 PM
    Pollinators! Most vegetables need their flowers to be pollinated by bees in order to produce fruit, so a veggie garden can attract pollinators to your yard the same as flowers would. Also, some herbs are host plants for butterflies- for example black swallowtails host on fennel, dill, and parsley- so if you're willing to share, you can also help insects that way.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Embrace Imperfection
    How has embracing imperfection impacted your plastic-free journey?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:18 PM
    Sometimes reducing plastic waste feels really hopeless, considering the fact that even if we were perfect- and we can't be- most waste comes from corporations anyways, not consumers like us. However, realizing that every little action can make a difference makes the issue less "paralyzing" and more manageable. Who knows, maybe one of the 68 plastic bottles I kept from the landfill would have killed a turtle or something had I used it instead of my metal one. Regardless, realizing that every step counts- regardless of if it's a perfect step or not- has allowed me to progress more in my plastic-free journey.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Use What You Have
    Besides 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"?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:15 PM
    This can help to de-clutter our homes, too. I know I have a lot of things around my house that I wish I didn't buy because I feel guilty not using them but also... I don't have a use for them. Impulse buying something cute, funny, or seemingly useful happens to all of us, but thinking about it for a few minutes can save our wallets, storage space, and the environment.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Skip Plastic Bags
    It can be easy to forget to bring your reusable bags to the store with you - especially if you're going somewhere besides the grocery store. What are your favorite ways to remember your reusable bags?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:12 PM
    Putting them straight in the trunk after you've put away groceries. It seems simple but it honestly helps, especially if you sometimes remember you need something from the grocery store while you're out and make a quick, unexpected shopping run.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Choose Reusable Food Storage
    How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:10 PM
    One interesting thing that I've seen before is reusable bowl covers. These are usually made of a plastic-y/silicone material, but they can be used, washed and reused unlike many other options like plastic wrap/cling film. These allow you to put a cover on any bowl, therefore reducing the inconvenience of other reusable storage (of having to move food, do an extra dish, etc.). This makes it easier and more convenient to use reusable food storage.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Fill a Water Bottle
    Investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed by this bottling process?

    Sammie Hawk's avatar
    Sammie Hawk 7/31/2024 8:07 PM
    One way to advocate for those who have been harmed by this bottling process is to reduce your use of plastic water bottles and when this isn't possible (because it isn't always) boycott brands with particularly bad histories concerning this issue such as Nestle. You can also advocate for them by doing research! The more people are aware of these issues, the more likely it is for these people to get justice.