Shawna Troyer

Community Team

"Learn, Do, Be"

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
238 Total

Participant Impact

up to

21

minutes

spent learning
up to

0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Shawna's Actions

Food

Say No to Plastic Bags

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Family

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!

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Family

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 1 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Prevent Recycling Contamination

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Community

Learn about the Harms of 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

Community

Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend 30 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Community

Estimate My Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral

I will visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging, making sure to wash them well before using them.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make My Own

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant a herb or vegetable garden in my home, workplace, dorm room, or community garden using as little plastic as possible.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 2 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Feed

Reflection Question
Community Prevent Recycling Contamination

What 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?

Shawna Troyer 7/08/2021 7:57 PM

I live in an apartment complex that doesn't have recycling bins, and that is one of the difficult parts for me. One of my neighbors started recycling cans - I gave him a plastic garbage can with lid I wanted to get rid of, so he's got it outside for all the neighbors to donate their cans. He uses the money earned to fill his granddaughters piggy bank. I recycle plastic and cardboard, but it requires saving it in my apartment, then driving to the recycle center when I have a load.

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- Cloud Galanes-Rosenbaum 7/09/2021 8:40 AM
  
  With all the lost jobs lately, maybe there's someone who would be willing to start a plastics, paper, etc bike business. There are now cargo bikes that could act as mobile recycling bins. I know that I'd do that job if I could.
  
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Shawna Troyer 7/08/2021 3:32 PM

Also: Staples and Best Buy take old electronics, no matter in what condition. From the Fitbit community forum. I've not researched either of these beyond finding answers online.

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Shawna Troyer 7/08/2021 3:31 PM

Because this is a thing that recently came up for me: "If you have a Fitbit you no longer use, or extra chargers or bands, please send to RecycleHealth.com, a 501(c)(3) charity that refurbishes wearable activity trackers for under-served populations."

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Reflection Question
Community Estimate My Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?

Shawna Troyer 7/02/2021 5:40 PM

The India scavenger rate/pay ratio and the "if everybody did this, then we'd have more plastic in the ocean than fish by year.." scenarios were interesting and sad to read.

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- Leola Specht 7/03/2021 8:47 AM
  
  oh wow thx for your thoughts on this, I'll have to check out the plastic consumption calculator and the India scavenger rate story
  
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Shawna Troyer 7/02/2021 5:33 PM

Have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend! Please don't start fires. And reduce, re-use, recycle.

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Shawna Troyer 7/01/2021 10:15 PM

Welcome, July! Though summer hit with a vengeance.

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Shawna Troyer 6/30/2021 10:05 PM

Over the weekend I took 3 bags of recyclable plastics to the recycle center (some of it mine, some of it from friends). It's hard to believe it's already July!

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Shawna Troyer 6/25/2021 11:32 AM

Terracycle bottle cap recycle box is $102. My employer purchased recycle boxes last year for all employees that wanted one, but bottle caps wasn't an option. Wish I could trade out my box. Candy and Snack wrappers recycle box is going to take me YEARS to fill. Bottle caps cannot be tossed in - I emailed and asked.

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Shawna Troyer 6/14/2021 9:05 AM

Does anybody know where/how to recycle plastic bottle caps? Our local recycle centers don't take them, and the few places I found online that accepted them stopped due to COVID and haven't started accepting them again. I've offered them up in case anybody local could use them for crafts/etc (a couple years ago a coworker was collecting them to do an epoxy table top), but so far no takers.

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- Deborah Kim (Ecochallenge.org Staff) 6/14/2021 3:42 PM
  
  You could try TerraCycle, but they are pricy! I'll keep an eye out for other options.
  
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Shawna Troyer 6/02/2021 5:08 PM

This is so needed! I try, kinda. I recycle... which is a pain because I live in an apartment complex and they don't recycle. So I save everything up, then when I get around to it I drive to the recycle center. On the bright side: the frustration alone makes one want to use less plastic. On the downside: it's still too convenient and wasteful. Every time I make a trip I tell myself I need to just eliminate plastic usage. Hopefully this challenge will help!

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