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Tracy Erdman's avatar

Tracy Erdman

Wagner

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 232 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    115
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    48
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2.2
    pounds
    waste avoided
  • UP TO
    8.3
    pounds
    packaging waste avoided
  • UP TO
    17
    pounds
    waste recycled
  • UP TO
    110
    minutes
    spent learning

Tracy's actions

Plastics 101

Recycle Plastic Bags

Instead of trashing them, I will recycle 4 plastic bags per day bringing them to a drop-off or special pickup

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Recycle Plastic Caps

I will recycle 2 plastic caps per day by placing them back on the plastic bottles before placing them in my recycling bin.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Plastics 101

Read Plastic-Free Challenge emails

I will read through the three emails each week to learn more about plastic and get ideas on how to use less.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Swap the Snacks

I will swap 5 prepackaged snacks for unpackaged fruits or veggies or homemade or bulk items each time we need more.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will avoid 5 plastic bags each shopping trip by not bagging my produce or using reusable produce bags.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Extend the Life of Electronics

Manufacturers want you to replace your phones every year. I will keep my phone for at least 3 years and make any necessary repairs or updates to keep it functioning as long as possible.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

REUSE TRASH BAGS BEFORE PURCHASING NEW

I will reuse existing bags such as pet food bags, grocery bags, or online shopping bags to line my trash bins (or go without plastic liners) and offset using as many new bags as possible.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Ditch the Disposable Cleaning Wipes

I will replace my disposable cleaning wipes with a reusable brush or cloth.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Skip the Dryer Sheets

I will replace dryer sheets with a reusable alternative or use nothing at all.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Plan a Garden

I will plan an herb or vegetable garden for next year at my home, workplace, or community garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:11 AM
    it would drastically drop down my grocery bill during the months the garden was producing.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    How difficult (or easy!) has it been for you to cut dryer sheets from your laundry routine?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:10 AM
    It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    How have you modified your cleaning routine to make sure you aren't using disposable wipes? Are you satisfied with the results?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:10 AM
    I use microfiber clothes or old rags to do my cleaning.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    What are some of the challenges or benefits you have experienced using reused bags instead of a bag purposely designed to hold trash?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:09 AM
    I moved away from bags all together and just wash my trash can each time I empty it.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    At Home
    What maintenance steps do you take to keep your electronics in good working order?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:08 AM
    I make sure to wipe them down weekly to keep them as dust free as possible.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Plastics 101
    What are some things you can do to avoid using plastic bottles and plastic caps in the first place?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:06 AM
    Use reusable water bottles.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Plastics 101
    Has separating your plastic bags for recycling helped you identify how you might reduce how many you have? What are you doing differently now?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:06 AM
    Yes, it creates a visual on how much plastic is used in things.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    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?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:05 AM
    I don't think it is serving anyone.

    • Margo Ashmore's avatar
      Margo Ashmore 2/18/2026 6:20 PM
      It's all about shelf space dominance, protecting products during shipping, and the marketing that can be designed into all that packaging. Also, I suppose, blister packs help avoid someone buying something for one use and then wanting to return it as if they haven't used it at all. So I'd say the producers or middle-men benefit. This is why Buy Nothing has become so popular - if you try a product and don't like it, pass it on to someone else who can try it, maybe they'll like it...without all that packaging.

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    How does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies or homemade or bulk items benefit your household?

    Tracy Erdman's avatar
    Tracy Erdman 2/18/2026 11:04 AM
    It keeps us all healthier.