Eric Ritter

I will spend 120 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

I will spend at least 60 minute(s) touring (virtually or in person) a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about our local waste and waste recovery streams.

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

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

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

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.

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home or dorm room.

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.

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

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.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 60 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

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.

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the experiences of trans, femme, and/or nonbinary people.