Carmen Bays

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

I will spend at least 50 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.

I will start a recycling program at my workplace or school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.

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.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus to reduce pollution in the environment and in local communities.

I will spend 88 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 20 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate. I will keep 4 container(s) out of the landfill each day.

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.