Craig Piepmeier
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 489 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO3.0locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO30minutesspent learning
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UP TO16plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
Craig's actions
Food
Locally-Sourced Meals
I will source 1 meal(s) each day from local producers.
Simplicity
Needs Vs. Wants
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
Energy
Choose Clean/Renewable Energy
I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.
Health
Eliminate Toxic Plastics
I will avoid buying toxic plastics - including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl - and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.
Simplicity
Support a Sharing Economy
I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.
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.
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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Craig Piepmeier 10/14/2018 4:19 AMThere are lots of articles out there on living without plastic but I am going to read this couple's book on our vacation this week. I really can't imagine eliminating plastic in my life but I can see a path towards continually reducing the plastic we bring into our life. I am hopeful there will be some new ideas for me in this book. https://www.treehugger.com/plastic/life-without-plastic-practical-step-step-guide-avoiding-plastic-keep-your-family-and-planet-healthy-book-review.html -
Craig Piepmeier 10/13/2018 4:02 AMI have been observing how the local restaurants we frequent handle recycling. As best I can tell they don't. They throw aluminum cans and bottles in the same bin as the trash. It seems like such a shame and a large volume on material that is going to the dump instead of the recycling center. I wonder what the challenges are for a small business to participate in recycling. I plan to try to find the right person to ask. I do know the owner of one place and she is conscientious and supportive of many good causes. I wonder if Waste Management has different recycling policies for businesses versus homes. Does anyone have any knowledge on how this works for the small, locally owned business? -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Choose Clean/Renewable EnergyHow might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to clean energy?
Craig Piepmeier 10/09/2018 5:41 AMFPL has a FPL SolarNow Program where you can enroll and $9 per month will be added to your bill. Funds go toward the construction of solar energy projects in local public areas, such as parks, zoos, schools and museums. It seems like a good program that can help the community and our energy usage footprint. If you are interested, go to your FPL account online and look for the Solar option link at the bottom of the page. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Eliminate Toxic PlasticsWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Craig Piepmeier 10/07/2018 7:28 AMWe have been focusing on reducing the single use plastics that come with items we purchase and it is tough. Many stores wrap food in plastic maybe in an attempt to keep things more sanitary. Some places like Lucky's in Melbourne make it easy to buy things in bulk but is it worth the ecological impact of driving for 40 minutes to do that? Luckily the Produce Place of Suntree is closer and we do shop there more now. At Target yesterday I struggled with buying four boxes of Kleenex wrapped in plastic on sale versus single boxes. I believe our garbage and recycling output has reduced over the last few months but plastic is just everywhere you turn these days.-
Terry Mott 10/08/2018 1:31 PMI agree and perhaps we could try to form food coops, where one person makes the long trip for several families.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONSimplicity Support a Sharing EconomyWhat are some of the barriers to sharing economies? What is your plan for supporting or creating one in your community?
Craig Piepmeier 10/03/2018 11:15 AMIn general, we don't have that sense of neighborhood that we once did but I think this is one area where small condo's do help. We are in a six unit building and we know all of the people in the building very well. It makes it easy to share tools and other rarely used items. We often gather socially on the dock in the late afternoon and I think that is the key to creating community for us. Ideas and planned projects are often discussed and it provides the opportunity for someone else to volunteer their time or resources. It isn't always harmonious but community and families are like that. I believe if you keep the goal of helping your neighbors in mind then sharing economies are just one of the benefits. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Find Local Recycling DepotsOur 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?
Craig Piepmeier 10/02/2018 4:06 AMI spent some time on Google trying to find a local place to scrap some metal, DVD's and VHS tapes. The DVD's and VHS tapes had personal information on them but not sensitive. I found that earth911.com is a good resource along with Recycle Brevard. There was a place in NH that you could send DVDs to and they would recycle for free but only requested a donation in support of their efforts. It seemed odd to me that they did not take VHS tapes. Locally, I found TMR in Rockledge takes most types of metal so I plan a trip there later this week. I've asked neighbors if they have anything they would like me to take. Our town where we lived in MA had drop-off dumpsters at a city run transfer station for this kind of material and that sure made it easier to recycle this type of stuff.-
Terry Mott 10/08/2018 1:38 PMI like the idea of forming co-ops for this issue also. I haven't had time to research it yet, but I think it would be a great way for communities--especially HOAs--to come together. For example, I'm a member of the local group Nextdoor, which typically meets once a month. Perhaps we could collect reuse items (for Recycle Brevard) or odd recycles, etc., and then take turns (on a local level) driving the items to places. Just food for thought. -
Beth Beek Blackford 10/03/2018 8:21 PMOur favorite metal recycler is ATM, with a Cocoa and a Palm Bay branch. So far, we have "rescued" over $2000 worth of scrap metal from the landfill! ATM - spits out money; love it! -
Marcia Booth 10/02/2018 10:47 AMAt Recycle Brevard we take DVDs, CDs and tapes for reuse. We have loads of tapes and some DVDs/CDs at the moment.
This weekend we will be taking a good chunk of those to the Recycled Art event for kids we are having at ClayZ Arts in Rockledge.
I hope we can get kids to create beautiful art from those materials.
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