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Emily May's avatar

Emily May

Plastic Free July Planning Team

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 325 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    5.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    10
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    20
    minutes
    spent learning

Emily's actions

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

If I have to buy paper products, I will only purchase products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will support women-owned businesses when I shop this month.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Recycle Everything I Can

#55 Household Recycling

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 5
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
    Materials Recycle Everything I Can
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

    Emily May's avatar
    Emily May 4/12/2018 7:50 AM
    Aside from simply separating out paper, glass, metals, etc., I've been working on educating myself on which plastics can be placed in the recycling bin.  Also, just learning what the symbols on the bottom of plastics indicate has been an eye opener.  Simple tasks, but I'm working hard to stay conscious of my waste.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 1
    How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

    Emily May's avatar
    Emily May 4/04/2018 7:14 AM
    Learning that my obsessive coffee habits are contributing to deforestation was devastating! Three cups of coffee a day equals the death of 18 coffee trees! However, purchasing coffee that has been "shade-grown" and has a Rainforest Alliance Certification can help to ensure my coffee was grown in a more environmentally friendly environment. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use Buy Bamboo
    Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

    Emily May's avatar
    Emily May 4/04/2018 6:24 AM
    Bamboo alternatives are so easy to find online.  I know with Amazon, anything is possible.  But I always keep my bamboo cutlery and my metal straw in my purse for use where ever I go.