(my dogs are less than 20 pounds so I bathe them in the tub)
Shelley Shrader
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 904 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO38advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO38conversationswith people
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UP TO195minutesspent learning
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UP TO6.0plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO85plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
Shelley's actions
Community
Give Some Green Gratitude
I will give a shout-out on social media to a local company, coworker, friend or family member for their plastic free or green efforts.
Community
Say No to Styrofoam
Throughout its life cycle, polystyrene (styrofoam) can harm people, communities, and the planet. I will refuse styrofoam whenever I can, making sure to kindly let people know why I'm asking for alternative packaging.
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.
Personal Care
Eco Deodorant
I will switch to a plastic-free deodorant — whether purchased or DIY'd.
Lifestyle
Proper Bioplastic Disposal
I will spend at least 60 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 20 friends, family, and/or colleagues.
Lifestyle
Practice Sustainable Fashion
I will spend 30 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.
Lifestyle
Ditch Dryer Sheets
I will use wool dryer balls or another plastic-free alternative to dryer sheets to keep my clothes static-free.
Lifestyle
Homemade Cleaners
I will make my own cleaning products at home.
Lifestyle
Travel Eating
If traveling, I will bring my own snacks and meals in my own containers to avoid the waste of take-out containers.
Lifestyle
Natural Fibers
When available, I will purchase clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.
Lifestyle
Clean Plate Club
When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.
Lifestyle
Travel Toiletries
If traveling, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me in a TSA-approved reusable quart-sized bag.
Lifestyle
Support a Sharing Economy
I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.
Lifestyle
Complete a Waste Audit
I will conduct a waste audit - including recyclables and compost - to understand how much waste I create and where I can reduce the most.
Lifestyle
Buy Only What I Need
I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.
Pets
Sustainable Suds: Pet Edition
I will replace my pet's shampoo with an eco-friendly shampoo bar or refillable shampoo option.
Pets
Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal
I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.
Family
Glass Bottle Baby
I will replace 5 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.
Family
Learn about Environmental Justice
Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 60 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.
Family
Discover Together
I will spend 10 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.
Family
Swap the Snacks
I will swap out 2 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.
Food
Advocate for Plastic-Free Dining
I will talk to the owner or manager of a restaurant I frequent to request that they reduce their use of single-use and disposable plastics.
Food
Minimize Packaging
I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
Food
Plant a Garden
I will plant a herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.
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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REFLECTION QUESTIONPets Sustainable Suds: Pet EditionIn what ways does your pet make your life happier, more interesting, or more rewarding?
Shelley Shrader 7/30/2022 1:08 PMI started bathing my dogs with bar soap and they smell so much better than they did with other dog shampoos! I'm working towards a zero waste bathroom and this gets me one step closer!
(my dogs are less than 20 pounds so I bathe them in the tub) -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Say No to StyrofoamHow might styrofoam be an environmental justice and/or environmental racism issue in your community?
Shelley Shrader 7/30/2022 7:27 AMI hate learning how often Styrofoam is for the environment and then going to a store and seeing them serve any food or drink in the container. I use to always go to Easy Bay for lunch, but this whole month I've not gone so that I don't create any waste, but especially Styrofoam! I want more restaurant locations to offer more opportunities to bring your own things in for drinks at quick service places! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFamily Swap the SnacksHow does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies benefit your family?
Shelley Shrader 7/30/2022 7:24 AMI try really hard to only eat things that aren't wrapped in single use plastics. Which means I have had to stop eating a lot of kind bars/luna bars/lara bars. This has helped my bank account a lot, but sometimes I miss those yummy snacks. Does anyone have a good granola bar recipe that uses little to zero waste when buying the ingredients at the store? Would love for you to share if you have it!-
Jaime Webster 7/30/2022 7:52 AMThis recipe has always been my go-to, and can be made plastic-free: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/
- Old-fashioned oats: Also called rolled oats — Can purchase from bulk bins, at stores like Sprouts , MOMs & Wegmans (on east coast). These are also sold in cardboard containers but hard to find the ones without plastic lid.
- Shredded coconut: An ingredient I always omit, so unsure on packaging.
- Creamy peanut butter: Glass jar brands with metal lid
- Ground flaxseed: Can purchase from bulk bins using mesh bags
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Can purchase from bulk bins using mesh bags
- Honey: I buy local honey in glass jars with metal lid
- Vanilla extract: Can be found in small glass jars with metal lid (off-brands)
- Chia seeds: Can purchase from bulk bins using mesh bags
I'm SO glad bulk foods are back, all stores in my area stopped bulk sales during the shut-down and started pre-packaging everything in plastic, it was horrible! Fine mesh bags are my best friends for bulk items, and if I need to buy flour or anything finer, I grab a small paper bag from the register or bakery areas.
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Shelley Shrader 7/30/2022 7:14 AMHere is a petition to sign to Break Free from Plastic Pollution!
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-the-break-free-from-plastic-pollution-act-2?source=direct_link&referrer=group-plasticpollutioncoalition
There's a lot of great resources on this site and plenty of other petitions to sign. A great way to do your own research and find ways to help our locally community to produce less waste! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Minimize PackagingWith the added mindfulness of reducing your packaging, what have you noticed about the amount and type of single use plastics used for packaging when you shop in the grocery store?
Shelley Shrader 7/30/2022 7:07 AMI went to the grocery store and the only thing wrapped in plastic was the meat I purchased! Does anyone know if there's a butcher/local seafood place that you could go to and bring your own containers to purchase meat?
Or a place where you can buy rice/beans/things like that in bulk and bring your own containers? -
Shelley Shrader 7/20/2022 10:00 AMHas anyone here checked out Wild Craft? It's a store here in Charleston that has a refill station! It helps reduce excess waste at my home with refilling hand soap in these cute containers I have in our bathrooms! If you haven't checked it out, you totally should! -
Shelley Shrader 6/16/2022 1:18 PMHey Team! Make sure to pick your daily or one time actions! This helps gain points for our team, but also for you as an individual on our SCA team! Let me know if you have any questions! I would love to help you navigate this platform!-
Linda Rowe 6/21/2022 11:04 AMHey Team, we got challenged by Aubrey w/ Save the Sea Turtles. They have 18 team members, so we'll need to work at building out our team...
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