Claire Hehir
11/25/2019 1:11 PM
When purchasing new home appliances, we could do research and get energy-efficient models.
Claire Hehir
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 807 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO23plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO46plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO28pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO46plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO48disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
Claire's actions
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Waste
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.
Waste
Use a Reusable Mug
I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
Waste
Skip the Straw
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
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.
Energy
Adjust the Thermostat
I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.
Energy
Turn it off
I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.
Energy
Power Down the Computer
I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.
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 QUESTIONEnergy Adjust the ThermostatYour utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Skip the StrawHow could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
Claire Hehir 11/24/2019 6:52 PMInstead of buying individual servings of frozen foods to bring for lunch, I've been preparing family-sized dishes and portioning them out in tuperware to bring to school every day. It's a little bit more work, but it reduces the amount of waste from the packaging, as well as saving me money by buying food in bulk.
I've also started doing more research before buying a product to make sure it is durable and will not need to be replaced for a long time. I've also opted to buy used clothing and other products from thrift stores, rather than purchasing things new. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use a Reusable MugMaybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reusable one, but it's just hard to make the switch. What stands in your way of making this a habit? By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?
Claire Hehir 11/24/2019 6:46 PMI've used a reusable travel mug at home when I make myself coffee, but I thought it would be awkward to bring my reusable coffee mug to a coffee shop and ask them to fill it instead of a disposable cup. As it turned out, it was no big deal, and customers ask to use their own travel mugs all the time. It feels good not to feel guilty about the waste when I decide to treat myself to a fancy coffee. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Weekly Meal PlanningAn average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four in the US spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?
Claire Hehir 11/19/2019 11:56 AMI find this sad, but not surprising. I see people throwing out perfectly good food all the time. And I've definitely thrown out food after forgetting about it and letting it go bad. I would love to save money by buying less food in the first place. $1500 could just about buy a vibraphone, which would be way cooler than rotting food. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use Reusable BagsWhat do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you or aren't allowed to use the one you brought? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?
Claire Hehir 11/18/2019 9:34 AMI've started keeping the reusable bags in my car so I can grab them before I go into a store if I need to buy something on a day I wasn't planning on doing grocery shopping. I've found this to be really helpful. I forgot my bags in the car once, but I was able to just ask the cashier to watch my cart at the checkout so I could run out and grab the bags. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use a Reusable Water BottleWhile water bottles are needed for health and safety in certain places, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. What are the barriers to you using reusable bottles and tap water instead of bottled water? How could you make this a permanent habit?
Claire Hehir 11/13/2019 8:21 AMThe water fountains here at NIU aren't designed for filling reusable bottles like the fountains at my previous school were. It makes it harder to use a reusable bottle because the fountains spill and the water tastes unpleasant. I could use a larger water bottle that will last all day and fill it up at home in the morning instead of using multiple smaller disposable bottles. -
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?
Claire Hehir 11/12/2019 7:12 AMI use plastics like sandwich bags to bring food to school. I could use reusable tupperware instead to reduce my waste. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Power Down the ComputerWhat are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Claire Hehir 11/01/2019 1:03 PMCarpool when I need to drive somewhere. Making sure to only drive when necessary.