Emily Dresbach

MN GreenCorps

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
760 Total

Participant Impact

up to

18

pounds of CO2

have been saved
up to

0.8

pounds

packaging waste avoided
up to

83

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
up to

25

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
up to

71

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
up to

6.0

pieces of litter

picked up
up to

1.0

documentaries

watched
up to

95

minutes

spent learning

Emily's Actions

Personal Care

Practice Low-Waste Hair Care

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, and conditioners with a bar, refillable option, or I will make my own.

Completed
One-Time Action

At Home

Choose Natural Clothing Fibers

I will purchase clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, acrylic or spandex.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

On-the-go

Visit a packaging-free store

I will visit a co-op or zero waste store to check out my local options for bulk products and plastic-free items.

Completed
One-Time Action

Community

Pick Up Plastic Litter

I will pick up 2 piece(s) of plastic litter each day and dispose of it responsibly.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Estimate Your Plastic Footprint

I will complete a plastic consumption calculator to learn about my plastic footprint.

Completed
One-Time Action

On-the-go

Pack a Lunch

I will skip eating out and bring a lunch from home in reusable containers.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

On-the-go

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 2 pieces of plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

On-the-go

Use Reusable Water Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make Your Own

I will try a new recipe or food preparation method, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary film about plastic waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

Completed
One-Time Action

Feed

Reflection Question
Personal Care Practice Low-Waste Hair Care

What are the economic and personal benefits of switching to bar soap/shampoo/conditioner, refillable bottle options, or making your own?

Emily Dresbach 2/22/2023 7:38 AM

I've found that I actually prefer the way my hair looks and feels after using shampoo/conditioner bars instead of the bottled kind, though it did take a little bit of experimentation with brands.

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Emily Dresbach 2/21/2023 7:01 AM

This was not a great weekend for me in terms of plastic reduction - I had a friend in town and we ate out most of the time. One thing I tried to focus on was eating at the restaurants instead of getting take out.

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Reflection Question
On-the-go Use Reusable Utensils

How can you be an advocate for using resusables instead of disposables for the rest of your community? Where are they currently dependent on disposable cutlery, and how can you convince them of the need for change?

Emily Dresbach 2/14/2023 12:13 PM

I've been in the habit of bringing my own silverware for my lunch, and it started because I didn't know where I could even find disposable silverware in the office. One day I forgot to bring a fork, but since I didn't know where any silverware was in the office, I got creative and used my tupperware lid as a utensil.

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Reflection Question
On-the-go Use Reusable Water Bottles

Can you think of any scenarios where using your own bottle is harder? How can you make sure not to get a disposable bottle in that case?

Emily Dresbach 2/14/2023 12:11 PM

If I forget my water bottle one day, I honestly feel like I'm lost. Throughout time I've gotten used to the tap water from my house and I've figured out what I do and don't like in a water bottle. In the case that I do forget my water bottle one day, I've stashed an extra empty bottle in my desk so I don't have to go buy and plastic one. Now the hard part is resisting free water bottle giveaways...

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Emily Dresbach 2/14/2023 12:09 PM

Something I've noticed lately is how much more waste I produce when I go out to eat. If I have leftovers, chances are the to-go container is either styrofoam or plastic, and while I try to save plastic to-go containers, there's only so many I can have and reuse. A lot of times it's just easier for me to pick something up for dinner on the way home, but I really have to think about if it's worth it for all the waste that produces, and I've been doing better about eating in instead of getting take out.

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Reflection Question
Community Estimate Your Plastic Footprint

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?

Emily Dresbach 2/14/2023 12:06 PM

My plastic footprint was lower than average, but I feel like I throw away so much! I think it's particularly hard for face cleaning/makeup products because there's so many on the market all in such small containers.

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Reflection Question
At Home Watch a Documentary

Which documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?

Emily Dresbach 2/14/2023 12:05 PM

I watched Plastic Wars Frontline documentary. Something I've been learning about this year is how the chasing arrows symbol doesn't necessarily mean that type of plastic is recyclable, which shocked me, even though I knew it depended on end markets. The people I've talked to about the chasing arrows are always shocked that it doesn't mean it's recyclable.

Read More
Reflection Question
On-the-go Pack a Lunch

What are some of the unexpected benefits of bringing your own lunch?

Emily Dresbach 2/01/2023 8:04 AM

It can be hard to motivate yourself to pack your own lunch, but I've found that bringing lunch can save you money and gives you more time to relax during your lunch break.

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