Sandy Muellner
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 226 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0locally sourced mealconsumed
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UP TO6.0meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO5.0minutesspent learning
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UP TO2.0plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO1.0poundwaste composted
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UP TO4.3pounds of paperhave been saved
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UP TO2.0whole food mealsconsumed
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UP TO1.0zero-waste mealconsumed
Sandy's actions
Food
Zero-Waste Cooking
I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day
Health
More Fruits and Veggies
I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.
Health
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
I will spend 60 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.
Food
Smart Seafood Choices
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.
Food
Locally-Sourced Meals
I will source 1 meal(s) each day from local producers.
Food
Whole Food Lifestyle
I will enjoy 2 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.
Waste
Prevent Recycling Contamination
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 5 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
Waste
Choose Two-Sided Printing
I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.
Waste
Compost Food Waste
I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and POC-majority neighborhoods. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
Action Track: Building Resilience
Support Local Pollinators
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 60 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.
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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Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:47 AMIt is a good reminder to keep working on the small things that hopefully it will add up to a much bigger impact. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Go PaperlessReducing your paper mail can reduce mental clutter as well as physical waste -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:46 AMI have called and emailed to request being removed from mailing lists. I have also signed up for organizations that work to remove my name from junk mail lists. I need to go back and redo some of these things as I haven't followed up on this for a while. I always feel better when I don't have to add more things to the waste or recycling stream. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Compost Food WasteNew to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:45 AMI regularly compost and have a system of using that compost in my raised beds and garden plots that grow my salad greens, peppers, cucumbers and Tomatoes The Following season. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Choose Two-Sided PrintingChoosing two-sided printing can be an easy adjustment on your computer settings. How can you help others make this same switch? Can it be encouraged company wide?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:44 AMIt is encouraged company-wide where I work. I have taken the time to show other people how to access two-sided Printing and to check that it is turned on. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Reduce Single-Use DisposablesWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What did you substitute or could be substituted instead?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:43 AMThe major single-use plastic that I use is the plastic bags that hold Frozen vegetables and fruit. I tried to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables using reusable bags as much as possible but in Minnesota in the winter, I can often only get local fruits and vegetables from the frozen section. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Prevent Recycling ContaminationWhat 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?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:41 AMI am bummed about the fact that our local recyclers are reducing the types of plastic that they will take, including no more black plastic. The most difficult part of recycling right now is keeping track of the eco-friendly Plastics that need to be recycled and the compostable Plastics that cannot be recycled but can be composted through my Municipal facility. Often these companies use similar packaging and marketing symbols to show they are agreeing company but it makes accurate recycling much more difficult. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth More Fruits and VeggiesHow does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:39 AMI feel better when I have more fruits and vegetables and my body works better too! I also know that most fruits and vegetables are much more environmentally sound than any type of meat. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Whole Food LifestyleMichael Pollan states that “it is better to pay the grocer (our edit: or the farmer!) than the doctor.” What are your thoughts on this assertion?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:38 AMI have made an effort to move toward this non-processed food diet for the last 10 years. I feel better when I eat more Whole Foods. This is a no-brainer for me. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Locally-Sourced MealsIf you were to only eat what is in season locally from now on, what would be the most difficult food item for you to give up? Why?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:37 AMCoffee and avocados. We don't eat a lot of avocados but they are a special treat. Coffee is also something that I enjoy. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Zero-Waste CookingIn North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for using every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable (including the skins, tops, stalks, etc.) during your next meal prep?
Sandy Muellner 5/01/2021 9:35 AMI regularly use most of the parts of the vegetables that we eat. As a vegetarian oh, many of our meals are vegetable only. The parts of the vegetable that are in edible go into my home compost. That home compost is then used in my garden beds to regrow vegetables the next year. Food waste does not get wasted in our house. We are also privileged enough to live in a city that has a municipal compost. Any eggs, cheese or other Nan home compostable waste is also composted through that system.