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February 27 - March 20, 2019
Mandy Howison's avatar

Mandy Howison

Ashley's EcoTeam

"While I think I already do a good job at being eco-friendly, I would like to start doing a GREAT job at it!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 933 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    477
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    15
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    150
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    15
    pounds
    waste composted

Mandy's actions

Nature

Practice Gratitude for Earth

I will spend 15 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Do Nature Activities

I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my family, for 60 minute(s) each day. (This can be anything from going on a walk or hike, to noticing the leaves changing color, to reading a book with nature themes.)

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Tend a Garden

I will tend to a garden each day, or work on starting one.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day by composting my food or learning how to.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Disable Screen Savers

I will disable screen savers and will put the computer to sleep instead, saving up to 28% more energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Connect with a Nonprofit

I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Volunteer in my Community

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Toilet Tank Bank

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Visit a Waste Management Facility

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the waste stream by visiting a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Online Energy Audit

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Use an Energy Meter

I will use an energy meter to monitor my energy use and identify opportunities to save power.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my sustainability actions visible with a lawn sign or bumper sticker, or by posting to my social media networks.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?


  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 3/14/2019 8:20 AM
    My compost piles are located on the other side of my property, so I find it easier to keep a small compost bin near the kitchen. As I am prepping meals, I throw all the scraps into a bowl. Once finished with prep, I put the scraps into the kitchen compost bin with composting bags, which I keep on the deck outside my kitchen. Emptying it into the main compost pile in the yard is my son's chore. I know some people that use Home Depot buckets with lids and keep them under the sink under they move the scraps to the main compost pile. 

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 3/13/2019 4:19 AM
    This week, our Eco-leader prompted us to work on Waste. I use "vintage" (aka, old and used) Tupperware containers to pack lunch for my son and hubby. I found a large box of various size Tupperware containers last year at a yard sale for $1. We use them for leftovers and lunches. Tupperware lasts forever. I saved them from the landfill by buying them, and I help avoid more waste in the landfill by using them every day. P.S. 

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 3/08/2019 3:24 AM
    We are working on health this week and I spent a few minutes yesterday setting up my annual physical, mammogram, and gynecological appointments for this year. I also set up my son's and husband's yearly physicals. Finally, I set a reoccurring reminder in my calendar to remind me to set up all these appointments every year so I do not forget. 

    • Carly Pietrzyk's avatar
      Carly Pietrzyk 3/13/2019 12:59 PM
      I just did a few of my yearly things and my regular check up is next:)

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 3/04/2019 11:25 AM
    Exactly, Ashley! The toilet tank will fill up until it hits a certain level. Using the idea of displacement, if other objects take up volume in the tank, every time it flushes, less water will fill into the tank. :)

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 3/04/2019 4:43 AM
    I do not think they do it to save water, but unless it is freezing out, my husband and son pee outside all the time. It saves water from not flushing the toilets, but I am SURE they do not do it to save water. Just a eco-side effect! :)

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 3/01/2019 5:09 AM
    I made my own toilet banks using recycled materials. Fill any type of plastic bottle with water so it does not float in the tank and place it (sealed) in the toilet tank, away from the flapper or any other mechanical part. I used an old mouthwash bottle and a small laundry softener bottle, but any bottle that fits in your tank and reduces the volume of water in the tank with works.

    • Mary Strehl's avatar
      Mary Strehl 3/08/2019 8:45 AM
      Don't some people use a brick? I think I've heard of that.

    • Ashley Krenn's avatar
      Ashley Krenn 3/04/2019 11:01 AM
      That's a cool idea... so you take up more room in the toilet so it takes less water to fill up the toilet tank? Is that the idea?

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 2/28/2019 6:44 AM
    I save the grey water from my washing machine and use it to flush my "yellow and mellow" toilets. I just keep a large bucket under the runoff hose to collect the grey water. The handle from the bucket makes it easy to carry the bucket around the house to the toilets. On a side note, the toilets are already low-flush toilets, so win-win!

  • Mandy Howison's avatar
    Mandy Howison 2/28/2019 6:38 AM
    I use the leftover ice cubes from drinks to water the plants. Just throw the ice cubes in the soil, not touching the actual plant, and you do not have to worry about harming the plants.