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Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar

Kerrie Kovaleski

Maryland Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 890 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    52
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    3.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    15
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    donation
    made
  • UP TO
    100
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    23
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill

Kerrie's actions

Personal Care

Donate Zero Waste Period Products

I will donate 3 zero waste period kits to young people with periods so that they can reduce their waste and the financial burden of menstruation while continuing their education.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Proper Bioplastic Disposal

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 20 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Natural Paints

I will paint rooms in my home with low/no VOC or natural paints.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Eco Deodorant

I will switch to a plastic-free deodorant — whether purchased or DIY'd.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusables at Work

I will use reusable dishes and silverware when eating at work.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Green Beauty

When it's time to buy more, I will replace my beauty products with refillable, sustainable, and/or DIY options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 2 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook a Plastic Free Meal

I will prepare meals at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Advocate For Better Food Packaging

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.

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?


  • Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/29/2022 11:54 AM
    My experiment with plastic free deodorant is going pretty well (friends, tell me if I am mistaken) and I decided to pick up two more brands to try next. I’m also determined not to go back to my daily make up wipes, which I do miss very much. But if I can just break these two plastic habits, I feel like I’ve made progress.

    • Sinclair Boggs's avatar
      Sinclair Boggs 7/29/2022 1:07 PM
      I just got a new native stick! Have you seen those make up removing reusable cloths/towels? They are a specific material (kind of like microfiber?) that really does the trick at removing makeup.

  • Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/24/2022 7:02 AM
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care
    Do some research on the toxic side affects of aluminum deodorant. After reading the side effects, can you think of instances where you may have experienced the side effects from this form of deodorant?

    Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/23/2022 6:44 AM
    The articles that seem to come from the most reputable sources indicated that aluminum isn’t really a health risk, and I don’t feel like I’ve had any of the symptoms that were listed. I would make this choice mostly to avoid plastic, and whether I keep it up depends on whether the aluminum free deodorant works as well.

  • Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/23/2022 6:40 AM
     I’m taking the leap and trying a plastic free deodorant. It went on pretty well, and it honestly smells amazing. If you notice me sniffing my armpits, this will be why.

    • Sinclair Boggs's avatar
      Sinclair Boggs 7/23/2022 6:47 AM
      I’m so glad there are a lot more plastic-free options on the market than just a few years ago! It’s taken me some trial and error (and plenty of armpit sniffing) to find one I like. My favorite is the brand Native- it’s sold at Target.

    • Claudia Zimmermann's avatar
      Claudia Zimmermann 7/23/2022 6:47 AM
      I also use these kind of design, different brands but I love it, too. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle
    What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

    Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/22/2022 10:13 AM
    It’s horrifying to think how long one simple purchase of a plastic bottle will continue to linger in the environment and have a negative impact on wildlife. It’s so cheap and easy that we don’t even give it a thought. How do we make this part of people’s consciousness? I feel like even a small change multiplied across our audience would make an important difference.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care
    How can having access to zero waste period products help people who menstruate overcome barriers to education or other opportunities?

    Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/21/2022 6:58 AM
    I love that there are actions here that directly improve the lives of people around the world.  Never in a million years would I have thought to support an organization that supports period kits in Nepal!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community
    How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

    Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/20/2022 12:29 PM
    It seems to me that the most common plastic items I pick up are smoking products.  Blunt wrappers, cigarette packs, loose tobacco bags, even lighters.  Interesting that efforts to reduce smoking would also lessen plastic use and pollution.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    With 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?

    Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/20/2022 12:26 PM
    Honestly, I know there are things I'm always going to buy (cheese, lunchmeat, etc.) and it will be a challenge to find brands or stores without plastic. I love Aldi and Trade Joe, but their produce is always prebagged and so I only go for specific things. I need to look around for a deli that packs in paper.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    Do 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?

    Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/20/2022 12:23 PM
    This has turned out to be one of my hardest challenges.  I work late many nights and just want to eat something quick and easy for dinner.  Ramen, deli meat, even cereal usually involve a layer of plastic. I'm going to have to figure out a real lifestyle change to solve this.

  • Kerrie Kovaleski's avatar
    Kerrie Kovaleski 7/20/2022 12:14 PM
    I just got back from a family reunion in another state, and it was really hard to avoid plastic.  I carried my own water bottle, and when we stopped for sodas on the road, I picked cans over bottles. I also ate more at each meal so I didn't need a to-go box.