Rose Hathaway

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and BIPOC-majority neighborhoods. I will avoid buying and using 3 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

I will spend 30 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Earth Month Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

Download the Marine Debris Tracker app to help to track trash that you find. This information "will be analyzed to help understand the state of plastic pollution along the Mississippi River."

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.