Sarah Marotz
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 924 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO235minutesspent learning
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UP TO89plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO60plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO97plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO4.4poundspackaging waste avoided
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UP TO0.6pounds of CO2have been saved
Sarah's 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.
Kids
Provide Alternatives
I will provide daily plastic-free alternatives (straws, water bottles, cutlery, bar soap, bamboo toothbrushes, etc.) for my family to use.
At Home
Make Green Cleaners
I will make 1 of my own cleaning products (cleaners, detergents, soaps) instead of buying them in new spray bottles each time.
Food
Stop Buying Water
I will stop buying water and instead use water from the tap or invest in a water filter if water quality is a concern.
Food
Ditch the Plastic Wrap
I will ditch plastic wrap and use reusable containers, lids or wraps instead.
Food
Buy Unpackaged Produce
I will avoid 5 plastic bags each shopping trip by not bagging my produce or using reusable produce bags.
Kids
Choose alternatives to balloons
Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 10 minutes learning about eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.
Plastics 101
Watch a Documentary
I will watch a documentary film about plastic waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlastics 101 Watch a DocumentaryWhich documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?
Sarah Marotz 2/29/2024 5:18 PMI watched a documentary about biodegradable plastic research. Some really cool science but even the people working on the problem admit that it isn't a solution to all the plastic that currently exists. My HS senior said that he doesn't think that biodegradable plastic will be adopted unless there is widesprea government regulation and globa economic incentives. We had a good discussion about reducing our plastic consumption.-
Dustin Pelikan 3/01/2024 6:35 AMThat's for the recommendation. -
H McCrillis 2/29/2024 6:32 PMHe’s right. 😕 Thanks to both of you for reminding me to advocate for biodegradable plastic!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAt Home Make Green CleanersWhich household cleaners did you try making? Have you been able to simplify your cleaning routine?
Sarah Marotz 2/29/2024 11:51 AMI make my own laundry soap and store it in glass jars. Its easy, cheap, none of the ingredients come in plastic and most importantly, it works. Lots of laundry with 3 boys in sports.-
Sarah Marotz 3/01/2024 6:46 AMI use fels naptha soap, washing soda, and borax. I will write up the procedure and share soon. -
Krina Damien 3/01/2024 5:56 AMWhat’s your recipe??!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONKids Provide AlternativesWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) does your household use regularly, and what substitutes are you trying?
Sarah Marotz 2/27/2024 7:55 AMI bought a set of fabric mesh produce bags which are working okay. Still working on the habit to wash them and remember to put them in the car for the next shopping trip. -
Sarah Marotz 2/21/2024 2:25 PMLink to today's Star Trib article about plastic film recycling plant shut down. Can't depend upon recycling to fix our plastic problems.
https://www.startribune.com/minnesotas-first-plastic-film-recycling-facility-struggling-just-two-months-after-opening/600345027/ -
Sarah Marotz 2/18/2024 11:05 AMI am planning a high school graduation party for this summer. Instead of balloons I will use paper banners and tissue paper pom poms as decorations. I can rent fabric tablecloths and use compostable utensils. -
Sarah Marotz 2/18/2024 10:49 AMI don't like to use my reusable silicone bags because they are hard to dry after cleaning. Today I found a stand that will hold them open to drip dry! Hope this will be what I need to finally ditch the plastic bags. -
Sarah Marotz 2/15/2024 5:10 PMNPR posted an article about plastic recycling today. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/15/1231690415/plastic-recycling-waste-oil-fossil-fuels-climate-change -
Sarah Marotz 2/06/2024 7:57 PMSorted the garbage out of the recycle bin at the ski meet today. 🤮 -
Sarah Marotz 2/04/2024 5:19 PMThis challenge has made me more aware how much of the food I buy is in plastic. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Ditch the Plastic WrapWhich method did you try? Do you prefer reusable containers or reusable wraps?
Sarah Marotz 2/02/2024 7:17 AMWorking to eliminate plastic film wrap at my house. I mostly use reusable glass containers because they are easy to sanitize and safe to heat. The one area I still struggle with is needing film wrap to cover items I'm sending elsewhere (neighbors, friends, etc.). I don't want to have to keep track of my reusable containers. Any ideas?