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Matthew Purinton's avatar

Matthew Purinton

YCP Sustainability Fa2021

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,745 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    39
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    720
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    1,529
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    1,761
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    130
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    41
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    76
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    38
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    41
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved

Matthew's actions

Waste

RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES

I will spend 040 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Core Values

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

I will save up to 15 gal (56 L) of water a day or 450 gal (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Learn About Renewable Energy

I will spend 30 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Visit A Local Farm

I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Eco-friendly Gardening

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 37
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 37
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 60 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 45 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 36
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES
    In what neighborhoods or areas of your region are landfills or other waste sites located? Which communities are most affected by these locations?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/23/2021 4:12 PM
    All communities in the area are affected by landfills. These landfills produce harmful runoff that gets into the water supply. This can pose a threat to human life and will start to kill off the wildlife around the area.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Skip the Straw
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/21/2021 4:19 PM
    I could incorporate these by only buying what is absolutely necessary. When buying these items try to buy used so that new materials are not being wasted.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/21/2021 4:17 PM
    The area can become more resilient by finding and implementing new ways of preserving water. These can include water filtration systems to reuse water, rain collection systems, etc. All of these can help to become more resilient in changing water conditions.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Fix Leaky Faucets
    Fixing leaky faucets is one of the tasks that we can easily put off until later. Good job on completing this action! How will you use the momentum from completing this action to increase your water efficiency in other ways?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/20/2021 11:43 AM
    I will check to make sure that all the other faucets are running as productively as possible.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Find Local Recycling Depots
    Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors, including market demand for recyclables. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/20/2021 11:42 AM
    There are certain recycling centers around the area that will take items that can not normally be recycled.

    • Maggie Kinsley's avatar
      Maggie Kinsley 10/21/2021 11:18 AM
      You can learn where to recycle plastic bags at plasticfilmrecycling.org which is a good way to dispose of the plastic instead of throwing it in the trash!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Go Paperless
    Reducing 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?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/20/2021 11:41 AM
    I will try to implement electronic copies of assignments without printing them out.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Plant an Herb Garden
    Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/19/2021 8:10 AM
    In my household, there is enough land to have a large garden. This garden is planted with different vegetables and some fruits that are used throughout the year to supplement the family's food.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Visit A Local Farm
    How do our current food growing and manufacturing processes affect our future and the future of Earth?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/19/2021 8:09 AM
    The current processes are drying out the soil and stripping the ground of all nutrients. If this continues to happen as the main source of agricultural goods the land will be barren and the world will die. Farmers need to adopt a style of farming that does less damage to the soil and reduces runoff.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Healthy Sleep
    Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/18/2021 3:59 PM
    I would like to start to go to bed earlier. I believe that moving the work that I do late at night to the next day would increase my productivity.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Choose LED Bulbs
    Switching out your lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! In what other ways can you exercise your civic duty to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions?

    Matthew Purinton's avatar
    Matthew Purinton 10/18/2021 3:58 PM
    I try to walk to class whenever possible, limiting the carbon emissions from driving.