Portland Trail Blazers

Live Greener Challenge

April 1 - April 30, 2019

Sara Runde

LIVEGREENERLAX

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
769 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

32

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

600

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

15

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

35

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

90

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

206

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

12

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Sara's actions

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching and recycling all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Skip the Straw

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.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

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 5 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

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

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Food Buy From a Farmers Market

What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?

Sara Runde 4/29/2019 5:52 PM

One food choice that you could make that would do more good and less harm would be eating meals made from foods produced in local farms. Its important to support local farmers, and also by doing this you will be eating a healthy meal. Eating healthy makes you feel good, and gives you longer lasting energy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Drive Less

How has your access to various kinds of transportation throughout your life influenced your current attitudes about transportation and your transportation behavior?

Sara Runde 4/29/2019 10:10 AM

When I was younger I assumed going places by car was the normal thing to do since everyone always did it. Now that I am in college and in a more active community I see more people biking and walking places, which is a better alternative. Biking and walking places not only helps the environment but it is good for your health.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Mug

Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reuseable one but it's just hard to make the switch. Think about what stands in your way of making this a habit. By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?

Sara Runde 4/27/2019 12:23 PM

Knowing that I am saving so many disposable cups from going to the landfill makes me feel good. I used to go out and buy coffee a lot during the week, but since then I have switched to making it myself and using my own reusable cup.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Try a New Way to Prep

Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 8:04 PM

Canning tomatoes is something my father does over the summer to preserve the tomatoes for use in the winter. I am going to learn how to can tomatoes from him. Canning is a very specific process that requires tomatoes that are at the appropriate acidity, along with correct canning procedures. These conditions need to be correct otherwise you risk bacteria getting into the food.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Say No to Plastic Straws

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 7:58 PM

The main single use item that I use in my life is plastic bags for fruit and vegetables from the store. I have been very good about not using big plastic bags for groceries but I need to become better and not using plastic bags for produce. I am going to bring a smaller bag with me to the store just for my produce items.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Skip the Straw

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 7:57 PM

Another R I could incorporate into my life could be reusing when it comes to clothing. I have been trying to do more shopping at thrift stores, along with stopping at rummage sales once the weather gets nicer outside.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Weekly Meal Planning

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 7:53 PM

This total amount somewhat surprises me, but after I thought about it for a couple minutes it makes sense. If you go to the grocery store you see tons and tons of different foods that all look amazing, but most people will not eat every food they buy at the grocery store before it goes bad (or in general). This money could be used towards buying bulk foods which make more sense if you are on a budget.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use Reusable Bags

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to establish this a successful habit?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 7:51 PM

Many times if I am going to a grocery or retail store and I am only buying a few things I will not use a bag at all, and I will just carry them out with me. If me and my housemates are at the grocery store and we forgot the reusable bags (we usually go to Woodmans) and they sell reusable bags there and we would buy some. A successful habit i have been practicing lately is leaving my reusable bags in my car that way they are always with me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Water Bottle

While water bottles serve an important role in places for health and safety, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. Can you identify the barriers in making this a new habit? How can you set yourself up for success in making this a permanent change?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 11:12 AM

Many people buy cases of water because of convenience and how cheap they appear in stores. If it was made more clear to them how much plastic they are throwing away, and how unnecessary they really are more people would quit buying them. One of the barriers in making this new habit is the people that make the product- they would lose money if there were advertising against them.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Water 5-Minute Showers

Five minute showers are an impressive step toward reducing your water footprint. What is the next step you can take?

Sara Runde 4/09/2019 11:10 AM

Another step I have been taking is making sure when we need to use the dishwasher that it is completely full, and trying to only run it as little as possible. Many dishes that are easy to clean by hand I have also been taking care of.

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