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Courtney  Dobbins's avatar

Courtney Dobbins

Sustainability Action Spring 2018

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,806 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1,926
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    60
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    2,160
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    600
    minutes
    being mindful
  • UP TO
    62
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    18
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Courtney 's actions

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will maintain a record of all my purchases.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Waste

Needs vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Ditch Microbeads

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden or window pot in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-Waste Meals

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Get Involved In Local/Campus Conservation

I will get involved in a local or campus conservation project, volunteering my time or researching local conservation issues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Advocate for Bicycles

I will work with my school to make my campus more bike friendly.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Animal Free Diet

I will enjoy 3 vegan meals each day, eliminating all animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Wash Only Full Loads of Laundry

I will conserve water by only doing full loads of laundry.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Watch A Water Documentary

I will watch a documentary about water and the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Plastics

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Online Energy Audit

I will complete an online energy audit of my dorm room or home and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Reduce Food Packaging

I will only purchase bulk food items and avoid all single-package items.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Register to Vote

I will register to vote with my state or local election office.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Reduce Unwanted Mail

I will reduce the amount of unwanted mail I receive (catalogs, phone books, etc.).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Cut Out Harmful Self-Care Products

I will check labels on my shampoo, lotions and/or beauty products. I'll replace products that use known carcinogens such as formaldehyde, cocamide diethanolamine, DMDM hydantoin or benzene.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products

I will research toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 47
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 47
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers for my lunches at work or school.

COMPLETED 47
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Volunteer in my Community/on Campus

I will volunteer 2 hour(s) in my community or on campus.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Study Outside

I will replace 40 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 54
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Take Nature Photos

I will take photos to capture my experiences with the natural world.

COMPLETED 54
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

If It's Yellow Let It Mellow

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 60
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

DIY Non-Toxic Cleaning

I will make my own cleaning products using non-toxic ingredients - improving air quality at home or school and also protecting human and environmental health.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary about food with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 62
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?


  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 4/24/2018 5:58 PM
    I was able to work with a friend who is a graphic designer to create informative posters that talk about the harmful effects of using single use plastic straws! These are going to be posted around my campus. One example of the posters will be attached to this post.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 4/10/2018 8:02 AM
    This week I have been trying to do a better job of recycling items in our household. With seven girls in one home, we accumulate a lot of waste, so I want to make sure that recyclable items are being placed in the right bin.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 4/04/2018 2:29 PM
    This week I focused on being less on my phone and more productive in creating and being outdoors. I have taken multiple walks and have been sewing and painting a lot more!

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 3/28/2018 9:27 PM
    I am currently trying to get plastic straws banned at PLNU and have been working with the director of Sustainability to do that.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 3/19/2018 10:55 AM
    I have some friends birthdays coming up and instead of going and buying something from a store I am going to sew something instead. I am planning on using old fabric and recycle it into something new like a bag or something and give it to them as a gift.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 3/14/2018 10:58 AM
    For spring break, myself and a couple friends went on a road trip to Oregon. We were able to just take one car for the trip. We tried our best to reuse water bottles and other containers. We enjoyed a week of being outdoors through snowshoeing, skiing, and hiking to water falls!

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 2/27/2018 10:05 AM
    I have been a vegetarian for 4 years now, but I have been being more conscious of my dairy intake because I am aware of the environmental impact that dairy farms have on this planet.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 2/20/2018 11:11 AM
    I recently also purchased reusable wooden utensils to use when there is a plastic utensil option at a restaurant. I think this small step will help in using less plastic in my day to day life.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 2/14/2018 1:35 PM
    I just bought reusable straws and reusable produce bags. I am trying to eliminate more of my plastic waste. I love plastic straws with my beverages, but I know how harmful those can be to marine life.

  • Courtney  Dobbins's avatar
    Courtney Dobbins 2/13/2018 11:19 AM
    I was able to get out and enjoy God's Creation by going to Joshua Tree this past weekend and stayed in a yurt. The group I went with also was able to all carpool in one car!