Quinton Haley

"My goals for the Eco Challenge are to find new ways to limit my carbon footprint, and foster a lifestyle focused on the reduction, reuse, and recycle of products that might end up in landfills. By living a greener lifestyle, I hope to inspire others to make simple changes in their daily routine for the sake of the planet we all share. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
216 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

6.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Quinton's actions

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

High Impact Action Track

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Waste

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Quinton Haley 10/10/2019 10:16 AM

EcoChallenge has been going well so far - remembering to check in everyday helps me to run through a sort of checklist of what plastics I may have inadvertently used on that day, and reflect on where I could've reduced, reused, or recycled instead

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Skip the Straw

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

Quinton Haley 10/09/2019 1:34 PM

Reducing consumption of foods that come in plastics, reusing the containers they come in, refusing to buy unnecessary items (like plastic straws) and repurposing items around the house, rather than buying single-task, single use items as often

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Recycle Everything I Can

What have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?

Quinton Haley 10/09/2019 1:32 PM

The most difficult part is the non-dedicated recycling bin - everything gets tossed in. On top of sharing a bin with others in my building, not everyone recycles properly and I occasionally have to resort the bin so it doesn't all end up in a landfill

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- Barbara Willard 10/28/2019 8:18 AM
  
  way to go for resorting the bin. Superhero Eco powers are bestowed upon you.
  As an aside, you win the prize for the best background photo.
  
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- Matthew Cooper 10/13/2019 10:01 PM
  
  Seeing people try to recycle things aren't recyclable is always irritating (my dad calls it "wishcycling"). Nice job taking the extra effort to do what other people in your building aren't thinking about — I often have to fish things out of my bin that my roommate puts in, so I can imagine the frustration of doing that on a larger scale!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use Reusable Bags

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?

Quinton Haley 10/09/2019 1:31 PM

I almost always have some sort of bag on my person capable of carrying things in. My strategy when picking something up or shopping is to do it in small groups - never shopping in excess of 1 or 2 reusable bags or an amount I can carry.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Water Bottle

While water bottles are needed for health and safety in certain places, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. What are the barriers to you using reusable bottles and tap water instead of bottled water? How could you make this a permanent habit?

Quinton Haley 10/09/2019 1:29 PM

I do my best to use a reusable water bottle whenever possible. Most of the time when I don't have one, a water fountain works just fine - the only barrier I ever have in concern with the water quality (e.g., lead in the water) in certain ares.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
High Impact Action Track Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bringing your own bags and containers to the grocery store, and even to restaurants for leftovers, are a couple of ways to reduce your waste. What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Quinton Haley 10/09/2019 1:27 PM

My biggest problem is using single-use plastics or cans for coffee since I am on campus for so long each day. Thankfully, DePaul has plenty of dedicated recycling bins, and when I am I able I try to use a reusable mug for coffee!

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- Barbara Willard 10/28/2019 8:19 AM
  
  Get the reusable mug and tie it around your neck. Start a new fashion trend. I think you are the man to do this!
  
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