Julia Chiu

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 spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, and/or trans and nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

Through social media, I will raise awareness about gender inequity in education by sharing the information found in the links below.

I will spend 10 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

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

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

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

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

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

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.

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 2 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

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.

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

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

I will spend 15 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

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

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

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

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