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Laura Mills's avatar

Laura Mills

Fair Trade Minneapolis

"Millions of little raindrops can turn into a flood. Be one of those raindrops and help stop climate change."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 593 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    60
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    18
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    18
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    6.0
    pounds
    packaging waste avoided
  • UP TO
    15
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    3.4
    pounds of paper
    have been saved

Laura's actions

Community

Carry My Trash

I will carry all of the waste I generate in a day with me to increase my awareness of my personal waste footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will avoid 1 plastic bags by not bagging my produce or using reusable produce bags.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

On-the-go

Skip the Slip

Request digital receipts or no receipts at any store you can. Also sign the skip the slip campaign for CVS: https://greenamerica.org/skip-the-slip

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

On-the-go

Assemble a Zero Waste Kit

I will assemble an eating-out bag with cloth napkins and reusable utensils, containers, and cups and use it to avoid disposable to-go containers and cutlery for 3 meals each day.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Install Eco Friendly Lights

To put in embedded led lights, so no need to even buy led light bulbs. Some of the cheaper ones just don't last that long.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden at my home or community garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Shop the Bulk Bins

I will purchase 5 products from the bulk section of a grocery store that lets me use my own containers to do so.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

At Home

Hold the Mail

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

De-Clutter My Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Week 1 Focus: Recycling and Composting

Find Local Recycling Drop-Off Centers

I will find out where to take the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

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?


  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/17/2021 8:52 PM
    Our garbage bin isn't usually as full as our recycling bin.  That still means our family is creating way too much garbage.  Any general ideas on how to reduce recycling waste as well?

    • Samantha Weatherston's avatar
      Samantha Weatherston 5/19/2021 8:37 AM
      I feel that way too. I need to shop in bulk with my own pre-used containers and bags-- spices, nuts, and oats are what I could buy. I am considering getting an Instant Pot to cook beans instead of buying cans. If anyone else wants to comment on how you like your Instant Pot, please do!

  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/16/2021 7:31 PM
    I'm trying something new today - reducing the amount of food waste from cooking.  I made stewed apples today and found out I could freeze the peel and use it in smoothies.  I am going to try and find other uses for the odds and ends for the veggies and fruits I eat.  I could probably take orange rinds and make my own orange peel seasoning.  Same with lemon rinds.


  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/15/2021 8:03 PM
    We have reusable containers and silicone baggies at home to reduce waste.  However, there is always something that just needs to be wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, like bacon.  I was going to try beeswax wraps like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bees-Wrap-Assorted-Sustainable-Alternative/dp/B0126LMDFK.  Anybody have any experience with them?

  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/15/2021 7:59 PM
    I'm trying to use Imperfect Foods to save on bags - they ship in boxes and don't use any bags for the fruits and vegetables (unless they are berries).  They also pick up ice packs and boxes the next week to reuse/recycle.  Most of the food is "upcycled" or would otherwise be thrown out: https://www.imperfectfoods.com/

  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/11/2021 8:44 PM
    Learning some interesting things going through this challenge - how about you?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Carry My Trash
    What one thing could you do right away to reduce your waste?

    Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/11/2021 8:43 PM
    Cook from scratch.  When I chose to cook a meal from scratch (on-the-stove oatmeal instead of instant packages), I ended up making way less non-organic waste than when I used pre-made or canned products.  Some cooking from scratch only took 5-10 minutes longer than the quick, prepackaged meals.

  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/10/2021 7:55 PM
    I made soup from scratch for lunch and dinner today, and discovered how little waste I generated,  Potatoes and onions already have packaging with their own skins, which went right into the compost bin.  The chicken stock was freshly made from some chicken bones and celery and green ends. The stock remains had to go in the garbage, but at least it will compose a lot quicker than a box!

  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/09/2021 7:26 PM
    Anyone know how to change daily actions without losing points?  Some of them aren't really daily for me, like buying bulk.  I only go to the grocery store once/week.  Same with learning about recycling centers - can only do that so much!

  • Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/09/2021 7:18 PM
    Every day, I look at something in my house, and ask: do I need this?  Do I use it?  If the answer is "no", it either gets recycled or donated where possible.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Buy Unpackaged Produce
    Why do you think these products have so much plastic packaging? Who is the plastic packaging really serving -- the consumer, the producer, or someone else?

    Laura Mills's avatar
    Laura Mills 5/07/2021 7:15 PM
    When there are a lot of a thing to buy, like several ears of corn, it does serve some purpose to put them all in a bag.  But I think we've gotten into the habit of "santization", in which everything must be in separate bags.  I know I have gotten some strange looks from the cashier when I didn't have a pepper or an avocado in a bag.  It would be nice to go back to what was shown in those old movies, where you brought a produce bag and put all your produce in it.