Marissa Tompkins

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.

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.

I will spend 45 minutes learning about the energy and resource impacts of AI and automation tools and identify 1–2 ways to use them more intentionally.

Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems and agriculture. I will spend 10 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.

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 spend 30 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 spend 30 minutes unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists and deleting old emails to reduce digital storage.

I will turn off lights, electronics, and appliances when not in use to save energy.

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

I will create an "Eat First" area in my fridge to prioritize food that needs to be used right away for my household of 2. Doing so will prevent 0.34 pounds of food per household member from entering the landfill.

I will repair at least one item that is broken, but is repairable. This might be items like garden tools, sewing machine, small appliances, wood furniture, electronics, clothing, and more.

I will spend 15 minutes learning about the Right to Repair movement and how repair policies influence electronic waste and device longevity.

I will spend 15 minutes organizing and deleting unneeded files on my desktop and downloads folder.

Being a responsible pet owner means keeping our pets safe from harm and minimizing the impact pets have on wildlife by keeping them indoors, never setting them 'free' into nature, and supervising pets when they are outside to prevent them from hunting or disturbing wild animals. I will spend 30 minutes learning about ways to ensure my pet’s behavior and care practices protect local wildlife and their ecosystems.

Giving can be an act of change and inspiration. I will give a thoughtful, waste-free or waste-reducing gift — like a reusable bag, bottle, or bar soap — to someone in my life and share why I chose it.

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.