Michelle Balz

Before you dive in, take 2 minutes to share your why: What's motivating you to waste less this sprint? Post it to the feed so you (and the rest of us!) have something to look back on when things get busy.

Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems and agriculture. I will spend 5 minutes learning how to support local pollinators and take at least one action—such as planting native flowers or avoiding pesticides—to help sustain resilient ecosystems and harvests.

Too much artificial light can confuse and harm animals, especially those active at night. I will reduce lighting at night or switch to wildlife-friendly fixtures to support healthy habitats.

Unnecessary waste is spoooooky! For Halloween this year, I will create a low-waste costume for myself or someone else in my family (pet, child, spouse) and share a photo of the final result in the feed.

I will create an "Eat First" area in my fridge to prioritize food that needs to be used right away for my household of 4. Doing so will prevent 0.34 pounds of food per household member from entering the landfill.

To better understand how I can waste less, I’ll track how much waste I produce in a day (or week), paying attention to packaging, food containers, food waste, and single-use items. I’ll reflect on what surprised me most and what I could do differently in the feed.

I will spend 5 minutes learning how data storage works, including where my files are stored (e.g., local device vs cloud) and how that impacts energy use.

I will choose a secondhand (e.g., thrifted, resold) or refurbished item the next time I shop, instead of buying a new one, to keep valuable resources in use longer.

I will spend 10 minutes organizing and deleting unneeded files on my desktop and downloads folder.

I will schedule a recurring reminder to declutter my digital files, emails, or cloud storage to make it a habit of reducing my digital footprint.

Fallen leaves, logs, and brush provide shelter and food for wildlife. I will leave natural features in my yard or community space to help strengthen biodiversity and soil resilience.

Donating gently used goods not only prevents waste but also strengthens social safety nets. I will donate items at least 2 times through a local shop or drop box in the next two weeks instead of throwing them away.

I will spend 5 minutes unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists and deleting old emails to reduce digital storage.

I will spend 5 minutes learning about the Right to Repair movement and how repair policies influence electronic waste and device longevity.

Swapping and sharing resources reduces waste and builds community bonds. I will participate in 1 swaps or sharing activities, like borrowing items, attending or hosting a swap meet, or giving away items I no longer need to support a sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.

I will refuse single-use items (e.g., napkins, utensils, condiment packets, lids) from restaurants and establishments when I don’t need them.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

A clean community benefits everyone. Each day I am outside, I will pick up 2 pieces of litter daily to keep my community clean and share what I find in the event feed.