Betsy Hosick
"To understand how I can reduce my plastics use! I "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,725 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO42advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO1.0community eventhosted or attended
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UP TO42conversationswith people
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UP TO74disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO192minutesspent learning
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UP TO332pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO119pieces of plastic cutlerynot sent to the landfill
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UP TO68plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO112plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
Betsy's actions
Food
Minimize Packaging
I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
Community
Keep My Community Clean
I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day.
Family
Learn about Environmental Justice
Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 30 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.
Community
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.
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
Estimate My Plastic Consumption
I will visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.
Community
Become a Recycling Pro
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 60 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
Community
Research Local Waste Sites
I will spend 60 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.
Food
Use Reusable Utensils
I will keep 3 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.
Food
Use a Reusable Mug
If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.
Food
Fill a Water Bottle
I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.
Food
Choose Reusable Food Storage
I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).
Food
Cook a Plastic Free Meal
I will prepare meals at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.
Food
Skip Plastic Bags
When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.
Personal Care
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
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
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.
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 QUESTIONLifestyle Complete a Waste AuditWhat did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?
Betsy Hosick 7/30/2022 7:08 PMI found that I do not have a lot of waste and I reuse a lot of things. My biggest opportunity is with sparkling water. I need to invest in a device where I can make my own sparkling water rather than buy it in glass, or cans, or plastic.-
Maria Watson 7/31/2022 7:57 AMOh this is cool to see you say this and even shift from a few days ago when you were making sure only buy in non-plastic containers! You’re so cool Betsy!
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Betsy Hosick 7/29/2022 8:13 PMI found a new challenge today and don’t have an answer and that’s vitamins. I guess I hadn’t really thought about it because I didn’t need to buy vitamins. I would love to hear what others have found in terms of buying vitamins.-
Maria Watson 7/30/2022 6:23 PMOoohh that’s so true! I just bought some tonight for my husband!
Thankfully the container is a #1 and can be recycled but still!
There are other vitamin shops that sell in paper bags that are specific to your needs but they are all plastic coated and end up being more waste since it’s separated by day… will have to look more into this for sure
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Betsy Hosick 7/28/2022 7:03 PMWe are almost at the end of our month… I have learned so much and I have figured out ways to not use plastic…today, however I was really craving sparking water and had some in the frig which were in plastic bottles. I will make a point to find sparking water in cans or glass so when that craving hits I won’t be using plastic.-
Maria Watson 7/28/2022 7:08 PMYes I love this Betsy!!! SO glad we got to do this challenge for a second year in a row together! You’re amazing!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyle Natural FibersWhat are the benefits (to people, animals, and the environment) of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers?
Betsy Hosick 7/28/2022 6:59 PMWhen items are made with natural fibers, they are not using plastic or other synthetic things. We all gave to work at reducing plastic consumption so what better way to do it than keeping it off our person. I have clothes that I have worn for the last 20-30 years. They are great quality and last forever!-
Betsy Hosick 7/29/2022 5:22 AMThe best part is that all the years, the clothes still fit. LOL -
Maria Watson 7/28/2022 7:15 PMUgh love this… I hope i can do this too - hold on to them for forever - let me be honest too I don’t buy clothes all that often either since I mostly wear stuff for work! So I keep my things really well off!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Join a Cleanup EffortHow does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?
Betsy Hosick 7/26/2022 5:19 PMOur community is a reflection of all of us. So working together to keep the community clean makes me feel proud to show off my neighborhood and makes me want to invite others to visit.-
Maria Watson 7/28/2022 7:23 PMAMEN!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLifestyle Travel EatingWas this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?
Betsy Hosick 7/25/2022 6:21 PMI was just in Connecticut where my granddaughter was in the hospital and I was staying in a place that had a small kitchen. I stress of eating out, I bought groceries so I could cook in the room. I knew I’d be there for a week and I challenged myself to buy only what I needed and to have no waste. It was good to get my mind off my worry and it was not as difficult as I expected.-
Betsy Hosick 7/25/2022 7:02 PMLauren, thanks so much. It was helpful to do something constructive. The place also had a place to refill water do no need go buy single use water. -
Lauren Jessica 7/25/2022 6:57 PMoh no sorry to hear about your granddaughter! I hope she gets better soon but I'm so glad you were able to challenge yourself to do this and keep your mind busy!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Choose Reusable Food StorageHow can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?
Betsy Hosick 7/25/2022 6:08 PMI use glass to store all of my leftovers. They are easy to reheat and they don’t stain. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Fill a Water BottleUsing the links provided, investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed by this bottling process?
Betsy Hosick 7/24/2022 4:54 AMThe best way I can think of is to not purchase single use water bottles. If enough people stopped buying the water, companies would stop bottling. Also we can contact those same companies to tell them why we are not purchasing their products. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Cook a Plastic Free MealDo an inventory of your kitchen to see how many single-use plastics you've used in the past. What are some resuable alternatives to these commonly used products? What would your impact be if you switched all the single-use products from your inventory to reusable?
Betsy Hosick 7/22/2022 12:32 PMI don’t have many single use plastics items, but one I do have is my k-cup. I have used it when short on time instead of making a pot of coffee. I found a reusable k-cup that I can fill with coffee instead of the ones packaged in the store.?it is still made of plastic, but I can use it over and over. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Estimate My Plastic ConsumptionWhat did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?
Betsy Hosick 7/20/2022 8:45 AMI was surprised by the amount of plastic I was still consuming. I thought I had done really well, but I guess I was only recycling more instead of using less.-
Maria Watson 7/21/2022 4:36 PMOH! This is a huge realization…. Honestly I was surprised by that a lot two years ago when I first did this challenge. It worried me because I was like oh man I thought I was being pretty eco-conscious. But, having that awareness and being able to look at it and go ok, what can i do next then to help myself!
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