Timothy Gay

SouthCoast Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
497 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

60

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

8.8

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

12

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted
UP TO

52

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

12

pounds of paper

have been saved

Timothy 's 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 5 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Advocate for More Food Options

I will advocate for local and/or organic food options at work or on campus.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of C02 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Improve a Bus Stop

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or some other small improvement.

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?

Timothy Gay 10/24/2018 5:38 PM

My why to joining the ecochallenge was because my professor said it was a way for us to earn bonus points. But then as the challenge went on throughout October I realized how wasteful I am and how wasteful everybody is and how nobody is talking about it. Nobody seems to care that the climate is changing and that we are ruining the world we inhabit. I have always cared about the environment but the ecochallenge has showed me ways I can do little things that will have a big impact. I cannot wait to join next year and just because the challenge is over does not mean I am going back to my old ways. I am a better more greener person right now than I was at the start of this month and now I am going to never stop improving.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Mug

Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reuseable one but it's just hard to make the switch. Think about 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?

Timothy Gay 10/24/2018 5:32 PM

It makes me feel good that making these small lifestyle changes like skipping the straw or using a reusable mug is my own way of improving myself and my environment. A lot of people think that there is not point because the difference one person makes is so small but then if you think of the big picture and multiple the difference that one person is making by a thousand or a million other people then as a city, state, town, country, globe we CAN make a huge difference and I just wish more people would see that.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use Reusable Bags

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable one with you? 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 establish this a successful habit?

Timothy Gay 10/24/2018 5:24 PM

This should be something simple that everybody needs to be doing. I am sure that most of you have that one plastic bag in your house you stuff all the other plastic shopping bags into and that is just a lot of unnecessary waste. By buying a few reusable bags and keeping them in your car you can cut out all that excess plastic use.

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Timothy Gay 10/24/2018 10:30 AM

I’ve learned a lot during these past few weeks but just because the eco challenge is ending doesn’t mean you should stop doing things that are good for the environment. I vow to always use double sided printing to always use reusable water bottles and mugs, to skip the straw and to walk or take public transportation as much as possible instead of driving a car.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Water Bottle

While water bottles serve an important role in places for health and safety, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. Can you identify the barriers in making this a new habit? How can you set yourself up for success in making this a permanent change?

Timothy Gay 10/23/2018 10:32 AM

I did not realize how many water bottles I used and threw away before the eco challenge. I would drink a few water bottles a day, when tap water is just as pure as bottled water and by drinking from a reusable water bottle I am no longer throwing multiple plastic bottles away a day. Think smarter no harder

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Improve a Bus Stop

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?

Timothy Gay 10/23/2018 10:30 AM

I try to encourage all of my friends to take the campus shuttle to class instead of driving their car because if they just plan a few minutes ahead taking the shuttle is easy reliable and environmentally friendly

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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?

Timothy Gay 10/17/2018 4:34 AM

Printing on two sides should not just be encouraged company or even country wide it should already be a standard. Printing single sided is so wasteful because you are only using fifty percent of the paper and switching to double sided printing is as easy a click of a button and not only does it help the environment by saving trees but it will also help your wallet by saving a few dollars on all the extra paper.

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Timothy Gay 10/01/2018 12:20 PM

First time ever doing the ecochallenge :)

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