Overall, this was a fun challenge and really opened my eyes to just how much trash I create on a daily basis. Although I feel that I failed at my challenge of zero waste, I definitely cut back on the amount of waste I created. I accomplished this using less plastic, bringing my own utensils, and making food for myself instead of ordering out whenever I could. I noticed that the main contributor to my waste production was food packaging, which I had never really realized before. I feel that if I focused more on buying groceries without packaging and then making all my own meals I could have been more successful in this challenge. To quantify my results, I am using a 2013 study by the EPA, that found the average American creates 4.4 lbs of waste daily. By cutting down on the amount of paper, plastic, and metal waste I definitely cut back 1 or 2 lbs of that overall waste. archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/ In the end, I really want to continue the changes that I've made and really hope to continue making changes to my life to help the Earth stay beautiful. It was a really great feeling knowing I was making positive changes toward zero waste and an overall more sustainable lifestyle.
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By now in my journey to zero waste I thought I would be doing much better. Although I am not creating any unnecessary waste and come prepared so that I don't have to use plastic items, I still feel like I have been creating a lot of waste from eating out. Because me and my family have been busy recently, we have eaten out a lot and that has created a ton of waste. I wish it was easier to avoid plastic and waste in general while eating out, as I tried to bring my own dish from home for a to-go restaurant to use instead of plastic and they refused to use it.
Over the last few days I feel I have done much better in completing my goal now that I know how to succeed with a zero waste lifestyle. Although using plastic is still pretty hard to avoid, I am really focusing on making my impact a little as possible. I keep reusable cups, straws, bags, and utensils in my car so that I am always prepared and do not have to use single use plastic. Instead of using ziplock bags I have gotten my family to use tuber wear, and instead of paper napkins and paper towels I have been using cloth. However, I still finding a hard time getting away from plastic packaging on food, and gives me a complex every time my family orders food or while buying food at the grocery store. This next part is a little tmi, but I thought it was interesting and would be helpful to girls who are worried about the amount of waste that is created from feminine products. I found these tampons that have no outer casing, which yes means you have to be a little brave, but it is really not that hard. So turns out this an even harder challenge than I expected. I did not anticipate how busy and on the go my life always is and how hard it is to avoid plastic. I have realized it really is all about being prepared where ever you go with your own cups, bags, and utensils so that you don't have to use single use plastic items. However, this was difficult because I went away this weekend without being prepared and basically failed miserably on my challenge. When I had a choice of using plastic I never reached for it but other than that many things I ate over the last 4 days had packaging waste. An extra challenge I did not think about is waste from feminine products... so cardboard applicators for me yay.
I have really become a lot more conscious of what I need to do to be successful in this challenge and hope to do better now. More updates coming!! I have been a little dormant on here for a while however a ton of new interesting posts are coming soon!!
As part of my end of year project for IB Environmental science I have challenged myself to cut out single use items and plastic packaging waste for two weeks. Plastic is heavily used in our day to day lives and most people do not even think of the immense amount of waste it creates. Not to mention that 99% of this plastic is not recycled and just ends up in landfills, the ocean, or scattered throughout the world forever. For me personally I will try to greatly reduce the amount of waste I create in general, focusing on cutting out single use items and plastic packaging. I am choosing this life change instead of cutting out meat or going vegan because I already am vegetarian, and with my current lifestyle I need to drive to work often and biking or carpooling would not work for me. I know this will be a hard challenge, but every little bit helps in keeping our planet healthy for generations to come. Hopefully policy changes will eventually get rid of all plastic packaging. This past weekend we took a spontaneous trip to San Francisco and had the best time! It was my first time in the city and I have completely fallen in love with the eclectic culture and architecture. With only one full day we had to pack a lot in and it was surprisingly do-able especially if you aren't afraid to walk a lot! Whether you plan to use this sample itinerary or just look at pictures of this interesting city, enjoy! Start your day off in Fisherman's Wharf! The morning is the best time to visit before the boardwalk becomes too busy and you can see the early morning fog roll off the water. Get the full tour by walking from Pier 39 to the Maritime park, stopping for breakfast at any of the local spots around. We were able to get a great view of Alcatraz Island, the harbor, all the little tourist shops, and of course the sea lions! Ghirardelli SquareFrom Fisherman's Wharf walk on to Ghirardelli Square to see the old factory and chocolate store. I would also highly recommend stopping by the Boudin Bakery along the way to see some really cool bread art and it is also a great breakfast option! Haight- AshburyNext use public transit or a ride share service to head down to the Haight-Ashbury district for a tour of this hippie haven. Full of thrift stores, vegan restaurants, and a lot of funky buildings and people alike. Just walk along Haight street, check out the intriguing shops, and stop for lunch along the way! From Haight-Ashbury we walked directly into Golden Gate Park and the sun came out to join us on the warmest day in January. If you have more time, play on the grass on Hippie Hill and tour the botanical gardens, or just walk through to enjoy the weather and listen to the music. The Painted Ladies and alamo squareNext we headed over to Alamo square to see one of the most beautiful views in San Francisco in the late afternoon light. Walk around the park on the hill to see sweeping city views, play with dogs at the dog park, and admire that classic row of houses. the Golden Gate bridgeHow would a tour of San Francisco be complete without making your way to the Golden Gate Bridge! Use public transit or ride share to get to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center for a great view at Golden hour and learn more about this historical bridge. Union squareOnce the sun goes down over the bridge travel down to Union Square for shopping, dinner and nightlife. We walked from Union Square up to China Town and Dragons Gate and back down for dinner. With more time I'd highly recommend checking out China Town during the day to explore the shops and culture. Powell street Cable carAn experience I would highly recommend checking out is riding the cable car or trolley! We only rode the cable car but it was a lot of fun. You can hop on anywhere however the best place to catch it is at either end of Powell street (Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf) to see them turn it around. It is basically a rollercoaster ride across town, how could you say no?
Despite the craziness in the world this year, I really feel that 2018 was the best year of my life so far. Being able to gain some freedom to explore and come into my own this year led to some fantastic adventures. I encourage you all to look through your year in pictures and reflect on your favorite memories! JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL
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JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER In light of the recent events in my community, mass shootings and wildfires, I find myself feeling more thankful for the little things in my life. The people I care about, things I own, experiences I have had, and the ones yet to come. So this special Thanksgiving post is really serving as a reflection of my life at this time. I invite you to read along if you want, but more importantly I encourage you all to sit down and reflect on the things you are thankful for. Things that make you happy, no matter how big or small. 1) The people I love. I am extremely lucky to have such a huge family that loves me, and even though everyone is so spread out across the country and world, we are still close. I am thankful for my boyfriend, who I haven been with for over a year now, and love more everyday. I am thankful for my great friends, in and out of school, who bright up my day. I am thankful for all the new friends I have been able to make from working at SunLife. They are the sweetest people on Earth and make me excited to come to work. 2) The things I have. After seeing the devastation and destruction from the recent wildfire, I am feeling thankful for my house, car, and all my belongings. Having to evacuate and throw anything I cared about into a duffle bag put a new perspective on what I actually needed and cared about. 3) The things I have done. I am so grateful to be able to do so many things all the time. Having an adventurous family and boyfriend, am able to go to new places and enrich my life with experiences. Here are some of my favorite pictures from this month alone! 4) The things I am going to do. Something that always keeps me going is thinking about good things in the future. For me, I am looking forward to concerts I am going to in December and winter break in a few weeks. Further in the future I am looking forward to graduating high school and going on trips before college. I am also thankful that I am able to go to a college of my choice.
I have been getting more into working out for a little while now, but in January of this year I made the decision to sign up for a triathlon with my sisters! I started training more and feeling stronger, eventually started training 3-5 times a week! I loved the feeling of getting outside and pushing myself when I trained. Although I could have trained much more and gotten faster, my goal all along was just to finish, and I accomplished that goal! 2 hours and 19 minutes to swim 750 meters, bike 17 miles, and run 5 kilometers! Since the triathlon I have set myself up for new goals and I am going to push myself even harder for the next one! one of my favorite things to do was to get out and run on trails, it is so much fun to see new things and enjoy nature while working out.
CU BOULDER lets start with this, I LOVE THIS SCHOOL! I love the energy at this school and of the surrounding area. pros: outdoorsy, athletic, energetic, lots of sports and clubs to get involved in, beautiful campus, unique area (Boulder), school spirited, lots of colleges and majors (including their brand new college of Media, Communication, and Information specializing in new media) cons: EXPENSIVE!, competitive attitude, does not give many scholarships CU DENVER I personally did not really like this school, the energy was not really for me but some might find it fits for them. pros: cheeper, in the city, diverse, smaller cons: not much of a campus feel, no sports, shared campus with two other community colleges, mostly a commuter school, people did not have any school spirit COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY This school is pretty similar to Boulder but has different values which is clear when visiting the campus.
pros: pretty campus, much more generous with scholarships, sports and clubs, school spirit, mix of modern and old style buildings, outdoorsy, focus on sustainability, cool growing area of Ft. Collins cons: still pretty expensive, farther away from Denver and mountains, some buildings seem outdated, campus was not as lively as Boulder ( I visited another day when it was not snowing as well), |