Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Cassie Crawford

DOWA - IBI GROUP

"The next round of extinction is probably soon, but just in case it's not soon enough, it's good to be eco-friendly."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,071 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

132

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

390

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

440

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

20

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Cassie's actions

Waste

Launch a Recycling Program

I will start a recycling program at my workplace or school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 30 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 30 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Upgrade My Windows

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching and recycling all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will spend 10 minutes each day maintaining a record of all my purchases and learning about my spending habits.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 3 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper each day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 Launch a Recycling Program

How might thinking creatively help us address big systems problems differently?

Cassie Crawford 10/24/2018 5:31 PM

We have a fairly good recycling program at our office, but it can be improved! I've been researching ways we can recycle items that can't be put into our regular recycling bin. I've found a company who has special boxes that can be filled with items that are generally non-recyclable and I have signed my company up for a box. We're on a waiting list for a free box, but pending that approval, I'm requesting that we have a paid box in our office to reduce our break room garbage.

Read More
Cassie Crawford 10/24/2018 2:19 PM

This challenge has been really fun! I am a pretty eco-conscious person, but there is so much more to learn. Having my eyes opened to so many environmental issues I didn't know about will definitely impact my choices going forward.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Try a New Way to Prep

Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?

Cassie Crawford 10/23/2018 11:44 AM

I love preserving cucumbers to make pickles! Admittedly, I have only put in the efforts to make "fridge pickles" which don't last as long, but we eat them quickly anyway. I'd love to learn how to pickle more types of items and preserve foods to eat them when they're not in season or easily available.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Personal Waste Audit

Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?

Cassie Crawford 10/22/2018 10:45 AM

I think it's difficult to understand the impact because we rarely see it. Literally. We throw away trash or put things in recycling bins and then it's out of sight and out of mind for most of us. It is our responsibility to research what impact we have on the environment, people, and animals and then act accordingly. My guess is that our biggest problem is convenience and it's not convenient or easy for everyone to take action on what they learn. Those of us who have the capacity need to do whatever we can. This challenge has already begun impacting my choices and I've learned so much. There is always more to learn and it can be overwhelming, but learning about things and trying to change where we can is the only way to begin the process.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Recycle Everything I Can

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?

Cassie Crawford 10/22/2018 10:42 AM

Recycling is getting more and more difficult. It used to be that you could recycle certain things in my area that are no longer recyclable. While investigating alternatives to my regular recycling bin, I have found some unique avenues for recycling. For example, there is a website where you can purchase a box for recycling chip/snack bags. You fill the box and mail it back to the company and they recycle it. Unfortunately, it costs money and so it not accessible to everyone, but for those who can afford it, it's a nice option.

Read More
Cassie Crawford 10/19/2018 4:18 PM

Because of this eco challenge, instead of going out to eat for a particular type of food, I went to the grocery store and made a new dish for the very first time. It was a no waste meal because I was selective about my purchases. =)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Find Local Recycling Depots

Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors. 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?

Cassie Crawford 10/17/2018 9:55 AM

Recently, we were trying to get rid of a mattress and box spring and were unsuccessful in finding someone to take them (getting it re-used would have been the best option). I researched local mattress pick-ups and found a place that takes apart the mattress and box spring and recycles each piece properly. This is a task that would be tough for us to do, but for a moderate fee, we can have someone do it and feel better about getting rid of our "garbage."

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Upgrade My Windows

How does improving your home's energy efficiency help you better live out your values?

Cassie Crawford 10/17/2018 9:49 AM

Upgrading our windows did wonders for our energy bill and for the temperature in our house! Plus, there is less noise than the older windows were making.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to clean energy?

Cassie Crawford 10/17/2018 9:49 AM

It's really easy (in my area) to get clean energy as part of our energy bill. Calling your local power company and having a quick discussion only takes a few minutes and you can likely sign up for cleaner energy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Choose Two-Sided Printing

Choosing 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?

Cassie Crawford 10/16/2018 1:24 PM

In our office, the default printer setting is double-sided. This reduces our single-sided printing by a lot. We also have discussions about thinking, "does this need to be printed?" before printing anything at all.

Read More