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Sonya Kougasian's avatar

Sonya Kougasian

Team ECOS

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,255 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    44
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    33
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    43
    minutes
    spent learning

Sonya's actions

Kitchen

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Kitchen

Travel Eating

If traveling, I will bring my own snacks and meals in my own containers to avoid the waste of take-out containers.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Try a New Recipe

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Choose Reusable Food Storage

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Host a Watch Party

I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Bedroom

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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 10 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Numbers Everywhere

The numbers #1-7 on plastics tell us a lot - and can help us be better recyclers. I will learn what these numbers mean and which types of plastics are accepted for recycling in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 1 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Discover Together

I will spend 10 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Sustainable Suds: Pet Edition

I will replace my pet's shampoo with an eco-friendly shampoo bar or refillable shampoo option.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Balloons Blow

Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 10 learning about the dangers of balloons and find eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Tour A Waste Management Facility

I will spend at least 10 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend 5 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed


  • Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/26/2023 4:39 AM
    I recently purchased oats from the bulk section of my grocery store. I filled a plain brown paper lunch bag rather than using a plastic container, which I can reuse the next time I need to purchase oats. This also avoided the hybrid (mixed-material) packaging that most oat/oatmeal canisters are made of.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

    Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/25/2023 1:22 PM
    Though I'm sure it would feel a little awkward at first, why not try bringing a reusable container when dining out? I know for myself, I almost always bring home leftovers, and unfortunately many restaurants still only offer polystyrene to-go containers. This is something I would like to try the next time I go out to eat.

  • Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/25/2023 1:01 PM
    Today I watched a video by YouTuber "Shelbizleee" regarding sustainable fashion and the concept of clothing "recycling." Many fast fashion brands will greenwash consumers into thinking the company is sustainable because they offer clothing "recycling;" however, it is estimated that 11.3 million tons of textiles are still landfilled every year. Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVLTwMStbAM.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How do you feel about being more involved in the food preparation process? Joyful, overwhelmed, engaged, empowered? What are the benefits of choosing to process or produce your own food instead of buying it pre-processed?

    Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/17/2023 5:24 AM
    On a Sunday afternoon I will often prepare a big batch of black beans and corn or a pasta dish to have for meals throughout the week. It is actually very relaxing to do. I will play some music or have a tv show or YouTube video playing in the background. It is also extremely cost-effective, with one serving costing less than $1.

  • Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/12/2023 9:04 AM
    Even though it can be difficult to entirely avoid plastic when it comes to food packaging, we can still make an impact by transporting individual servings in reusable containers rather than using single-use plastic containers or bags.

  • Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/11/2023 12:26 PM
    One of my pet peeves is plastic snack bags. Instead I try my best to stick with reusable storage containers.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

    Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/10/2023 10:10 AM
    Luckily I live in a place where most plastic shopping bags have been banned. Though it was an adjustment at first, bringing my own reusable bags is now second nature.

  • Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/10/2023 3:47 AM
    The thing that I struggle with the most is plastic used in food packaging. Though I try to avoid convenience foods as much as possible, plastic is also heavily used to package frozen and shelf-stable meal-prep staples.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Since the restrictions that COVID-19 has required of our society, trying to use your own cup might present new barriers, as well as new opportunities for creative problem solving. How were you able to achieve success on this action? How can you make it a long-term habit?

    Sonya Kougasian's avatar
    Sonya Kougasian 7/06/2023 1:30 PM
    Rather than purchase my daily coffee ready-made, I take advantage of the coffee machine at work and also make my own coffee at home. This allows me the freedom to continue to use my own reusable mugs and cups.