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Audra Kramer's avatar

Audra Kramer

National Aquarium

"I will integrate 2 new Earth-saving habits into my daily life."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,711 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    advocacy action
    completed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    11
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    57
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    320
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    40
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    47
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    108
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    8.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Audra's actions

Personal Care

Eco Deodorant

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Proper Bioplastic Disposal

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Pearly Whites

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Advocate for Office Reusables

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Compostable poop bags

I will scoop my litter box with compostable poop bags so that I am not putting extra plastic into the landfiill.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

All Natural Pet Toys

I will give my pets natural alternatives to toys like femur bones and antlers, canvas, natural rubber, hemp, rope or cotton toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Tour A Waste Management Facility

I will spend at least 45 minute(s) touring (virtually or in person) a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about our local waste and waste recovery streams.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 8 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 4 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Become a Recycling Pro

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 15 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend 25 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

See the Green

I will recycle used contact lenses and packaging.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 3 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
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 26
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 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Switch to Loose Leaf Tea

Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Personal Care

Brush with Bamboo

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Sustainable Suds

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with a sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Clean Plate Club

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Sustainable Suds: Pet Edition

I will replace my pet's shampoo with an eco-friendly shampoo bar or refillable shampoo option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Thrifty Pets

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

COMPLETED
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
    Community Tour A Waste Management Facility
    Landfills and recycling centers tell us a lot about our communities and purchasing habits. What did you glean from your tour?

    Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/31/2022 12:43 PM
    First of all I do have to say that one benefit of covid is the extensive amount of video/documentary information that is available online. I did a tour of a recycling plant and they mentioned how damaging to their process it is when people put single use plastic bags in the recycling. They get stuck in the gears of the machines and basically cause a jam that can shut down processing for hours at a time. I know that people feel good when they put items in the recycling instead of the garbage, but we really need to think about what we are putting in the recycling bins to make sure that it is in fact recyclable. Any time we put other items in the bin we are just contaminating the other products and making the recycling process take longer.  I do think it is a good step that Baltimore County got rid of plastic bags and charges for paper ones!

  • Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/31/2022 10:43 AM
    I cannot believe that it is the end of the month! I am definitely decreasing my plastic use when grocery shopping, and I have switched to an eco friendly deodorant. I have learned a lot of other things along the way, but I think that those are the two habits that are going to for sure stick with me!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care Eco Deodorant
    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?

    Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/30/2022 1:40 PM
    My research showed that the most concerning side effects of increased aluminum levels are on kidney function and implications with memory disorders. As someone who loves to lather on the aluminum-containing deodorant I am not concerned that I won't see the effects of my deodorant use until later in life. I have made the switch to a eco friendly deodorant in a cardboard container, I just hope that it can keep me smelling fresh all day long... 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Proper Bioplastic Disposal
    What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

    Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/29/2022 1:55 PM
    I am worried about the oceans. It feels like no one "polices" the oceans and many people don't think about ocean health. So much of our plastic waste and bioplastics end up in the ocean. It is something that I think everyone needs more education about.

  • Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/29/2022 1:49 PM
    My recycling bin was 90% paper/cardboard this week! I feel this is a strong reflection of the larger impacts of my cutting back on plastics!

  • Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/28/2022 10:28 AM
    I realized this week that I have redistributed my reusable water bottles. Instead of being stored in a cabinet in my kitchen I now have one at work, one in the car, one in my backpack, one in my fridge (nice for cold water)...and some floaters! No need for single use water bottles in my life. I even took one in to the movies last week!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Join a Cleanup Effort
    How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?

    Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/27/2022 10:32 AM
    In the moment I felt very connected to the physical location of my community and the people who I was working with, but just a few days later I was driving to work and I saw someone stopped at a spotlight in my neighborhood and they just opened their door and dropped out a bag of takeout garbage........and I was furious. My streets, keep your garbage to yourself. So now I am thinking that I don't want to feel so emotionally connected to the cleanliness of my community because so many people disregard it and it is just overwhelming to see people destroy the planet every single day. 

  • Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/26/2022 8:14 AM
    I have pretty good control over what goes on with plastics in my home, but the outer world is a whole different beast. I think it will take more than a grassroots effort to bring about big change. I don't know what will motivate lawmakers to make change at the level of the legislature. It is kind of depressing.

  • Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/24/2022 3:38 PM
    I received my new Pela phone cases that are compostable (even in backyard compost bins)! I am really excited, this company seems to be doing it right-even all of the shipping material was recyclable!

    • Jaime Webster's avatar
      Jaime Webster 7/29/2022 4:27 AM
      I've had a Pela for years - they are amazing! I drop my phone constantly and I've never had it crack or break, these cases are super protective.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Advocate for Office Reusables
    What are some of the cases you could make to an employer for why switching to durable dishes and utensils is actually in their best interest as well?

    Audra Kramer's avatar
    Audra Kramer 7/23/2022 12:44 PM
    I tried to talk with people on my floor who use the breakroom for meals about keeping a set of utensils on hand for the times that they get takeout. There was a lot of "yeah that would be a good idea" so I just found a set of silverware on clearance and made sure to tell everyone that it is available for general use. Hopefully they keep it clean (and choose to use it in place of disposables)!