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Heather Kellerman's avatar

Heather Kellerman

South Carolina Aquarium

"To walk gently upon this earth"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,035 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    5.0
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    8.0
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    7.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    7.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    31
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    82
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    35
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    86
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

Heather's actions

Kitchen

Clean Plate Club

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Glass Bottle Baby

I will replace 2 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Family + Pets

Thrifty Pets

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Minimize Packaging

I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Plastic Free Lunch Boxes

I will only pack reusable cutlery, drinkware and containers in my family's lunches to reduce plastic waste.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Sustainable Suds

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Second-hand is Grand

90% of my wardrobe will come from secondary market fashion. It gets the creative juices flowing, friendlier on the budget, and fun!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Learn about Environmental Justice

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 15 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Say No to Styrofoam

Throughout its life cycle, polystyrene (styrofoam) can harm people, communities, and the planet. I will refuse styrofoam whenever I can, making sure to kindly let people know why I'm asking for alternative packaging.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Eco Detergent

I will use laundry detergent that is packaged in glass or aluminum, or an alternative like soap nuts.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Follow the Chasing Arrows

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 15 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Complete a Waste Audit

I will conduct a waste audit - including recyclables and compost - to understand how much waste I create and where I can reduce the most.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Estimate Your Ecological Footprint

I will calculate my ecological footprint, and from the results brainstorm and take action on ways I can reduce my annual footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Plastic History Buff

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Homemade Pet Treats

I will prepare my own pet treats to avoid plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 3 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Learn about Plastic Production

Plastic production, not just disposal, pollutes communities and harms people. I will learn about the impacts of plastic production on humans, animals, communities, and the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal

I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Participant Feed


  • Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 7/27/2023 1:39 PM
    Making my own pet treats - when I eat with an eye toward overall health, Josie benefits. Blueberries frozen in ice cubes for hydration, oat/peanut butter/banana cookies, and endless bites of summer fruits and veggies during prep. She loves it!

  • Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 7/27/2023 1:29 PM
    Made a meal from scratch today and aside from the pour tip on the olive oil bottle, none of the ingredients had plastic packaging - I honestly can count on one hand how many times this has been possible in my adult memory. It's not easy, but it sure is worth it. Weird to think it was the opposite for my great grandmother. Things change quickly - and for the good when we work together toward shared purpose.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study
    What did you learn about your ecological footprint by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you? What are some ways you will take action to reduce your footprint?

    Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 7/18/2023 10:47 AM
    I was expecting my carbon footprint to be a bit high because I fly several times a year, but the impact of my old, inefficient house surprised me at Global Footprint Network's Calculator, www.footprintcalculator.org

    I'll do what I can when replacing appliances/energy-use items & tackling home improvement projects. Still favor the idea of purchasing a pre-existing home over new construction but I'm curious to look into this debate a bit more...

    • Linda Rowe's avatar
      Linda Rowe 7/21/2023 5:17 PM
      That's good to know, in part b/c I really feel bad about the impact of my periodic air travel. I'm inspired to check out the calculator for myself!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    With the added mindfulness of reducing your packaging, what have you noticed about the amount and type of single use plastics used for packaging when you shop in the grocery store?

    Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 7/11/2023 7:53 AM
    It seems so silly to unwrap plastic from something that was pulled from the ground a few days prior. Why? I'm looking at you store potatoes and onions...

    I'm enjoying the CSG - locally sourcing, minimum packaging, reusing containers, and the networked delivery all help me eat fresh responsibly!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study
    What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

    Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 7/07/2023 5:17 AM
    I learned how drastically my patterns change when someone is visiting and how centered visits can be around dining out. I'm learning to plan ahead and have some alternatives for dining in and reducing waste as I am car-centered instead of home-centered on any given day. Support systems for waste reduction are fairly easy to implement in my home. The opportunity to demonstrate reduced waste and kinder earth practices to friends is a gift and a bit more challenging.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How can you take your commitment to sustainable living beyond yourself and your family? How can you, personally, work toward broader change?

    Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 7/03/2023 11:59 AM
    I am working towards prepping my car and backpack with reusable take-home options for when I'm dining out. I hate food waste as much as single-use plastic!

  • Heather Kellerman's avatar
    Heather Kellerman 6/28/2023 6:27 AM
    Excited for the focus and awareness this challenge brings!