Dominique Keller
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 470 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO5.0plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO34plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO880minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO25minutesspent learning
Dominique's actions
Kitchen
Is it trash...or a trash bag?
The plastic industry has convinced us that some plastic bags are "trash bags," while others are just "trash." Instead of throwing empty bags away (such as bread bags, pet food bags, etc.), I will reuse them as trash bags.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Community
Become a Recycling Pro
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 60 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
Community
Give Some Green Gratitude
Don't forget to celebrate the good! This month, I will give shout-outs on social media, my office's internal communication channels, or the Participant Feed to a local company, coworker, friend, or family member for their sustainable efforts.
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 010 minutes learning what the care symbols mean and laundry best practices to make all of my textiles last as long as possible.
Bathroom
Travel Toiletries
Travel-size toiletries aren't just more expensive per ounce, they also have a higher plastic-to-contents ratio, and result in over 980 tonnes (2.2 million pounds) of plastic waste each year. If traveling this month, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me.
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.
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 10 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.
Community
Advocate for Office Reusables
I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.
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.
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 QUESTIONKitchen Save Jars for ReuseWhat's the most creative way you've reused a jar in your home?
Dominique Keller 7/31/2024 5:56 PMAs a temporary home for a caterpillar being moved from one part of the garden to the other. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONKitchen Is it trash...or a trash bag?It's only "single-use" if it's only used once! What are some other creative ways to reuse unavoidable "single-use" items?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Become a Recycling ProWhat have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
Dominique Keller 7/31/2024 5:55 PMWe learned that small pieces of plastic less that 2" x2" are not recyclable, as they can cause obstructions in the automated sorting equipment.