Ecochallenge.org

2020 People's Ecochallenge

October 7 - October 28, 2020

Divya Ranjith

NVeco

"to keep the world as healthy as we can for the future generations as they come!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
853 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

60

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

16

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

14

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

55

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

123

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Divya's actions

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Core Values

Do at Home

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

Do at Home

I will replace 12 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Know My Health

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Do at Home

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Do at Home

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 5 container(s) out of the landfill each day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Go Paperless

Do at Home

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

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

Do at Home

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Forgiveness

Do at Home

I will begin, or continue, on the journey of forgiving myself and/or other(s). I may do this through journaling, meditation, prayer, and/or talking with a licensed healthcare professional.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Sign Up to Vote

Do at Home

I will make sure I’m registered to vote. While I’m at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Research Local Waste Sites

Do at Home

I will spend 30 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

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Happiness

Do at Home

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Take Control

Do at Home

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

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
Health Take Control

How do environmental health, community health, and your personal health intersect?

Divya Ranjith 10/28/2020 5:21 PM

They all affect my daily life and how it goes. For example if the environment is not healthy I wont be able to go outside. Or if the community and the people is going through a hard time (protests) not much peace will be found in the day. If my own health is in danger whether it's mental, social, or physical health I won't be able to complete the day at the fullest capability.

Read More
Divya Ranjith 10/28/2020 5:16 PM

I had a great last day today! I tried to go all in, but there wasn't much to do. I went to Michaels and went on a yarn haul and instead of using the plastic bags they gave, I just carried them to the car :)

Read More
Divya Ranjith 10/27/2020 5:32 PM

Today was a pretty long day, but I saved a lot of plastic and I have them in trash bags so I can take them to the recycling center!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Research Local Waste Sites

In what neighborhoods or areas of your region are landfills or other waste sites located? Which communities are most affected by these locations?

Divya Ranjith 10/27/2020 5:31 PM

I wanted to look for some local recycling areas because there is no recycle bins near the apartment complex I live in and I found a few areas and I will check them out this weekend

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Personal Waste Audit

Why is it often difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places?

Divya Ranjith 10/20/2020 1:39 PM

We waste so many things a day, but we don't realize exactly how much. By not throwing away the trash I use in a day I truly noticed how much I wasted and I am now trying to reduce that amount!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Find Local Recycling Depots

Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors, including market demand for recyclables. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?

Divya Ranjith 10/20/2020 1:37 PM

In California we were required to have a recycling bin, but at the apartments here there isn't. Me being guilty, I searched up new places to look for better ways to reduce waste.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Sign Up to Vote

Why is voting important to creating a just, sustainable, and thriving world? In what other ways can you actively participate in important decision-making?

Divya Ranjith 10/20/2020 1:36 PM

It is important because so many people have fought for the right to vote and if you don't it would be a disgrace to what they sweat, bled, and died for.

Read More
Divya Ranjith 10/20/2020 1:33 PM

I CONVINCED MY MOM TO VOTE!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAYYYY!!!! I am so happy it worked after days of nagging!

Read More
Divya Ranjith 10/19/2020 7:45 PM

So I have decided to convince my mom, starting tomorrow, to sign up and vote in the coming elections. Since I cant vote I am going to pretend I am my mom for that one.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Know My Health

How do you deal with the physical and emotional stress of the big problems we face? How can you help others cope?

Divya Ranjith 10/19/2020 7:41 PM

I think one of the biggest problems was pulling myself out of a dark hole I found myself in during the span of April to August. Seeing people everyday to no one at all had caused me to go through actual depression and not the ones people joke about on social media. I struggled doing a lot of things I would normally do and I was in a really bad place. Also having to move away from a place where I grew up in for 7-8 years had taken a toll on me and I wasn't able to be the person I was. My parents were rarely home since they had to work, but I was able to come through by working out everyday and talking to some friends about problems. They were super supportive and FaceTimed me almost every single day to check on me and I slowly pulled myself out of the personal hell I faced.

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