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![Peggy Sullivan's avatar](/system/users/avatars/000/036/376/thumb/Photo_Jun_30__1_53_34_PM.jpg?1530381599)
Peggy Sullivan
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 385 THIS WEEK
- 1,875 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO70minutesspent learning
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UP TO116pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO1,673minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO5plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO52plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO1waste auditconducted
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UP TO1poundwaste avoided
Peggy's actions
Community
Keep My Community Clean
In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 2 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.
Study
Greenwashing Pro
Greenwashing can fool even the most experienced eco-advocate. This month, I will spend 15 minutes learning what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and what I can do about it.
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.
Study
Complete a Waste Audit
I will conduct a waste audit of my trash and recycling to understand how much waste I create and create a plan for where I can reduce the most.
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.
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.
Kitchen
Natural Corks
Natural cork is a sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable material, but many wineries are switching to synthetic corks for their wine bottles. Using a database like CORKWatch, I will choose wines with a natural cork closure, and properly compost or recycle them after enjoying my wine.
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 30 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.
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.
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.
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.
Bedroom
Clean the Dryer Vent
Every time we tumble dry our laundry, our clothes' lifespans get a little shorter. The lint trap is evidence of the shedding fibers and our clothes slowly losing their quality. The less time our clothes need to be in the dryer, the longer they'll last. So this month, I will clean my dryer's interior and exterior air vents to help the dryer work more efficiently (and extend the life of the dryer!).
Bedroom
Catch Those Microfibers
When we wash our clothes, the heat and friction causes our clothes to wear down, releasing microfibers into the water stream. To combat and prevent these microfibers as much as possible, in addition to following best laundry practices, I will use a microfiber catcher in my laundry, or install a microfiber filter for my washing machine.
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.
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
Sustainable Suds
In the UK, the average person creates 512kg (1,129lbs) of waste in the bathroom over the course of their lifetime - 50% of which ends up in a landfill. As they run out, I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable options.
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 2 plastic straws and/or stirrers out of the landfill each day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.
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
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.
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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Peggy Sullivan 7/26/2024 2:33 PMThere are so many things to modify in our lives to do our part to keep us from killing our planet. Straws are a small part but a beginning. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStudy Estimate Your Ecological FootprintWhat 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?
Peggy Sullivan 7/26/2024 2:26 PMI wasn’t surprised, but my biggest problem was my fairly energy efficient home (AC set to 80, lights off when not used, etc.). That’s something I’m not about to change any time soon. -
Peggy Sullivan 7/25/2024 4:57 PMI did look up how to print in draft mode on my HP printer and will use it going forward.-
Alyssa Miller 7/26/2024 1:58 PMOh, I forgot about this! I used to do it all the time in college, ha! What a good idea.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONStudy Greenwashing ProAs you were learning about greenwashing, were there any companies you previously supported that you now think might be greenwashing us? How can you tell?
Peggy Sullivan 7/25/2024 4:54 PMGreenwashing is basically false advertising, saying you are something you aren’t. While I am actively supporting companies like Who Gives a Crap for toilet paper and their outreach to underserved and Free the Ocean, working to remove plastics from the ocean; I have found some animal rescue groups that say all the right things but do the wrong ones. Those I no longer support! -
Peggy Sullivan 7/24/2024 3:02 PMI think it’s going pretty well, even though our team has fallen to 2nd place. The idea really is to expand plastic free to as many people as possible, and to keep the good habits going! The more, the merrier! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStudy Complete a Waste AuditWhat did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?
Peggy Sullivan 7/24/2024 2:53 PMMost of my waste comes from cat litter, and I can’t reduce that easily. I have actually reduced my waste to less than a half bag of my trash/week, including wallpaper I’m taking off my walls! If I bake it, I eat it or gift it. I have reduced my waste! -
Peggy Sullivan 7/23/2024 5:32 PMI have participated in the challenge ever since my zoo (MD Zoo) invited me. I no longer recycle all the plastic I use because it isn’t all recyclable and would just waste time and resources. However, the challenge has made me more aware of where my donations may go, how to get rid of excess items in my home more efficiently, and how to reuse many items that I have. Always continue learning! -
Peggy Sullivan 7/22/2024 6:33 PMI’ve been reading articles wherever I see them concerning recycling and plastic reduction. Aldi in the UK is working on reducing the use of plastics in packaging produce - paper bags instead of plastic. Another article showed 3 ways to turn plastic bags into plarn, plastic yarn. Even during Amazon’s big sales days, we appreciated the cardboard and paper containers for our orders. Baby steps. -
Peggy Sullivan 7/22/2024 4:06 AMI just read an interesting article on using recycled plastics in 3D printing, eliminating the need for “virgin” plastics! Sounds promising. -
Peggy Sullivan 7/20/2024 2:33 PMOpening eyes every day! I wrote my congressman and he responded with all the recent bills he’s co-sponsored and supported that are anti-plastic waste. Good to know.-
Katharine Mantzouris 7/20/2024 5:35 PMThat's amazing!
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