Ellie Bartholomew

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

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

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 3 minutes researching and recycling all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

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 use public transit 3 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 12.55 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

I will commute by bike 1 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 4.75 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.