Allegra DeSanto
"Tread Lightly~~"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 777 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO105plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
Allegra's actions
Health
Gratitude
I will write down three things that I am grateful for each day OR reach out to thank someone who's doing something positive for our world's health and well-being each day.
Health
Support Pollution Reduction
I will learn about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.
Transportation
Drive Less
I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.
Food
Watch a Documentary
I will watch a documentary about food with family and friends and talk about what we learned.
Community
Connect with a Nonprofit
I will connect with a local nonprofit and find out how I can get involved.
Food
100-Mile Diet
I'm up for a serious challenge! I will only eat food that has been raised and cultivated within a hundred-mile radius of where I live, and I will post about it on my feed.
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.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Community
Share my Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by posting on social media using the #EcoChallenge hashtag.
Waste
Avoid Disposables
I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or cutlery.
Waste
Use Reusable Containers
I will only use reusable containers for my lunches at work or school.
Waste
Reduce Food Packaging
I will only purchase bulk food items and avoid all single-package items.
Waste
Recycle Everything I Can
I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.
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?
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Allegra DeSanto 10/16/2017 2:02 PMI have been making more of an effort to drive less. Living in Ocean Beach (a very walkable city) has led me to enjoy the sunshine more and go about my daily activities still. I have challenged myself to walk every week to the farmers market, local co-op, and friends houses. It has been a very rewarding experience and now I don't have to spent 10 minutes looking for parking! -
Allegra DeSanto 10/09/2017 5:31 PMThis past weekend I went to a beach in Ocean Beach with some friends. I have always grown up with the beach in my backyard. I was saddened to see a ton of trash on the hike down, in the water, and on the sand. I have always been conscious about picking up after myself and never ever littering. I decided to do a mini clean up and bring the trash up the beach with me and put it in the trash can. We need to make the responsibility to pick up after ourselves and especially on the beaches because of the many negative impacts that oceans are dealing with in regards to our actions! I felt good about this action and definitely plan to always be aware of this!-
Sabrinna Alonso 10/12/2017 10:54 AMPicking up trash on walks is such a good habit to form now! When I was younger I used to be deterred from picking up trash because of the amount of germs but now I realize that you can just wash your hands and you and the earth will be cleaner!
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Allegra DeSanto 9/30/2017 10:54 PMOne thing that I have been trying to get better at is deciding whether something is a "need" or a "want". This can be challenging for most because we are so used to doings things the way we always have. I had this realization at the beginning of the semester after I watched a documentary on Netflix called "Minimalism". I decided to strive for this goal and it has been nothing but rewarding. It can be a challenge still for me to really decide if I need something or just want it! For example: I only have about 4 wooden spoons/forks/knives and not 30 that I would never even use! Looking at it like that really helped me put it into perspective how much I have vs. how often I actually would use it.-
Harry Watkins 10/01/2017 3:02 PMThis is a really good discipline involving challenging our unexamined assumptions about what we "need". One of the reasons I finally wanted to stop teaching marketing (notwithstanding many of the good uses it can be put to) is that so much of current marketing practice is to focus your attention on the gaps between where you are and where you could be, if only you would buy my (face cream, weight loss product, clothing, whatever). We market dissatisfaction! That is so contrary to Christ's teachings about where we gain fulfillment! It is also profoundly NOT what this world needs if we are to learn to live on one planet!
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Allegra DeSanto 9/23/2017 5:11 PMOne thing that I find very helpful and important is looking for cruelty free products. So many cleaning/cosmetic products are tested on animals such as big name brands like (Tide, Clorox, Windex, Pantene, MAC, Covergirl, Febreeze, and Dove etc.). It feels really good not supporting cruelty and knowing that these toxic products aren't entering into my body. Look for the bunny symbol! -
Allegra DeSanto 9/23/2017 5:08 PMI have recently started to make some of my own cleaning products. I have made so far an all purpose household cleaner which all of the ingredients I already had. Now I don't have to purchase new bottles of cleaner every time I need more. I have also adopted not using any toxic products. I use all natural cleaners (soap, laundry detergent, etc). Once I run out of my supply I will be buying all in bulk and plastic free.-
Sabrinna Alonso 9/25/2017 2:58 PMThat is so cool! I recently watched a video on Facebook about a girl who lives waste free and it encouraged me to try and start to make my own face washes and lip balms. I have not done it yet but definitely want to try in the next week or so once I get some free time!
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Allegra DeSanto 9/18/2017 2:48 PMI always have reusable items in my car in case I need them. For example: reusable bags and jars (if I eat out). I've also been bringing my smoothies in the car with me if I'm in a time crunch and I use a mason jar with a reusable straw (my favorite). You can buy metal/bamboo/ or glass ones and they are the best thing ever! I have also been more conscious about waste, so I have been using bamboo (100%) biodegradable toothbrushes which are actually cheaper than regular because they are so simple. Small changes make big impacts!-
Harry Watkins 9/22/2017 12:14 PMCool ideas, Allegra. Where did you find the reusable straws? The bamboo toothbrushes?
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Allegra DeSanto 9/13/2017 9:28 PMI use reusable (washable) produce bags when I go to the market. I am trying to limit plastic and single-use products. I also use a reusable water bottle and have been starting to bring my own glass containers for when I eat out and bring home leftovers. Since I've been making it a priority it has been rewarding and surprisingly easy!-
Emma Rucker 9/16/2017 11:40 PMthat is such a good idea to start bringing your own reusable containers when you eat out! I always find myself with leftovers that I don't want to waste but also don't like to use the styrofoam boxes restaurants usually have.
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Allegra DeSanto 9/01/2017 3:38 PMI have been vegan for almost 3 years now. I rarely consumed meat as a child but did eat/drink a lot of dairy products. I decided to go vegan while studying abroad in Brazil, due to the mass production of meat. I was watching this first hand and I was pretty shocked. I decided that it was my responsibility to continue my research and now I'll never look back! Going vegan has made me a more compassionate human being. My body has dramatically changed for the better. It feels right doing this for my body and knowing that I am saving a number of animals from suffering and having less off a carbon footprint. I think education is so important and I believe sustainability needs to be a universal responsibility because it affects the entire planet. Two documentaries that changed my life are : "Cowspiracy" and "What The Health".-
Harry Watkins 9/10/2017 7:15 PMThanks for your post, Allegra. Perhaps we can arrange a special showing of one of these movies.
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