Sonya Kougasian

Team ECOS

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
656 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

48

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

56

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Sonya's actions

Food

Skip Plastic Bags

When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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).

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Write Letters, Emails or Sign Petitions

I will write or sign 1 letters, emails or petitions per day to advocate for plastic-free or planet-friendly policies.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Host a Watch Party

I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Fill a Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Learn about Plastic Production

Plastic production, not just disposal, pollutes communities and harms people. I will learn about the impacts of plastic production on humans, animals, communities, and the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Raise Money For a Nonprofit

I will raise money to support a nonprofit dedicated to plastic pollution reduction.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
Sonya Kougasian 7/31/2022 4:52 PM
As I mentioned in a previous post, the most challenging part of avoiding plastic bags is remembering to bring reusable alternatives. Sometimes I'll even have them in my car, but forget to bring them inside a store. The NJ plastic bag ban has really forced consumers to not make this mistake. Prior to the ban, it was all to easy to just use the provided plastic shopping bags and tell ourselves that we'd remember our reusable ones the next time.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How might thinking creatively help us address big systems problems - like plastic pollution - differently?
Sonya Kougasian 7/31/2022 4:47 PM
Though I do believe we need to put greater focus on reducing plastic consumption, creativity may help us find new uses for our current plastic waste. For example, I remember reading an article online about this incredibly talented artist who uses discarded plastic bottles to create very beautiful jewelry pieces.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Since the restrictions that COVID-19 has required of our society, trying to use your own cup might present new barriers, as well as new opportunities for creative problem solving. How were you able to achieve success on this action? How can you make it a long-term habit?
Sonya Kougasian 7/31/2022 4:41 PM
At the height of the pandemic, we weren't really going out much anyway. This in itself forced me to almost exclusively make my own coffees and avoid buying out. This had the added benefit of saving me money!

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Sonya Kougasian 7/31/2022 4:37 PM
The easiest ways for me to minimize plastic waste are using reusable water bottles and coffee cups, and avoiding plastic bags when shopping. In NJ, the recent plastic bag ban has forced my family and me to break our habit of forgetting our reusable totes when we go grocery shopping. It has taken a little getting used to, but ultimately the temporary inconvenience is worth the environmental benefits.

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Sonya Kougasian 7/29/2022 5:34 AM
It can be a challenge to reduce plastic waste and waste in general when those around you are conditioned differently. My mother, for example, is a cling-wrap and ziploc bag enthusiast... which drives me nuts!

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- James Jeon 7/29/2022 11:22 AM
  My mother as well but she has started washing and reusing some ziploc bags. Woohoo!
  
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Sonya Kougasian 7/28/2022 6:01 AM
I remember attending a seminar in college about banning plastic water bottles on campus. The presenter noted that single-use plastic water bottles have their place in the world, but that place should be emergency situations only for access to safe, potable water is otherwise unavailable. This has always stuck with me.

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