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April 1 - April 30, 2020

SIUE Reducers Feed

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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?


  • Connie Frey Spurlock's avatar
    Connie Frey Spurlock 4/08/2020 3:02 PM
    It's April already? I'm off to a slow start but here I am. I'll try to do better. That's what this is all about anyway, right? 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Compost Food Waste
    New to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?

    Connie Frey Spurlock's avatar
    Connie Frey Spurlock 4/08/2020 2:52 PM
    I started composting about 7 years ago, but not consistently. I'm ready to get back in the habit! 

    • Stephanie Schrage's avatar
      Stephanie Schrage 4/09/2020 6:39 AM
      We compost everything that the chickens won't or can't eat. But they look forward to their "treats" of veggie trimmings daily!

  • Dana Wynn's avatar
    Dana Wynn 4/07/2020 11:26 AM
    What is your household size and how many trash bags do you go through each week?  We are a family of 4, 2 adults, 2 kids, 14 and 7 with 1 dog and 4 cats.  We fill one trash bag weekly and recycle and compost all we can as well.

  • Dana Wynn's avatar
    Dana Wynn 4/07/2020 11:23 AM
    Things are going well considering how little I am actually traveling out given the COVID-19 situation.  Our weekly trash remains at 1 bag/week with the remaining items going to compost (egg shells, coffee grounds), worm bin, my Slim Shady dog, recycling, and finally trash.  My boyfriend is a plastics recycling specialist and insists we recycle EVERYTHING we can properly as he deals with plastics the same way daily.

  • Dana Wynn's avatar
    Dana Wynn 3/18/2020 2:59 PM
    Ok folks. This is the STL U.S. Green Building Council group team:  usgbc-missouri-gateway-chapter.  Let's keep an eye on these folks and perhaps we can bring in and on a challenge!
    ;-)

  • Dana Wynn's avatar
    Dana Wynn 3/18/2020 2:53 PM
    Wow!  Just went through and edited my actions on my laptop and not using my phone.  Here's the breakdown!  20 actions (some I already do) total.  HM,,,, should I do the carbon footprint and water footprint calculators BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the Earth Day EcoChallenge?!  I think so.  Link to come in a future post!

    I think the most important point to make with and for our team, the REDUCERS, is stressing the importance of REDUCING as the first step in the well-known and often fumbled tri-cycle image for the 3R's, REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE.  For this particular event and given the current global situation we are all in, I think we can all come up with creative ideas to share (think Pinterest, posts, links, and MORE).

    Use of public transit has been my EcoChallenge priority for the last 3 events we have participated in @ SIUE, but there always seem to be a barrier.  More to come!  Be on the lookout for an upcoming ZOOM or TECHSMITH RELAY video!!!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Oceans Say No to Plastic Straws
    What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

    Dana Wynn's avatar
    Dana Wynn 3/11/2020 7:45 PM
    I do always require a drink in hand.  When I used to work at QT I went through several straws a day. Since I left, I purchased stainless steel straws, I primarily buy soda in aluminum cans and have a reusable stainless steel to for coffee mug ☕️