Zach Heger
"I am aiming to use this '24 ECO Challenge to further establish and maintain sustainability in my life. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 140 THIS WEEK
- 685 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO18advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO1.0community eventhosted or attended
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO90meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO10minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO91plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO42single-use bagsnot sent to the landfill
Zach's actions
Freshwater + Oceans
Go Plastic-Free
Millions of tons of plastic is produced each year worldwide. Each day, I will conduct a plastics audit of what I buy and use throughout the challenge (kitchen, bathroom, personal care products, etc.), to see how single-use plastic shows up in my life. I will find plastic-free alternatives to these products and advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, product manufacturers, at work, or on campus.
Climate + Air
Online Energy Audit
Energy use and waste is often invisible. I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Land + Forests
Borrow Before I Buy
Why buy something I will only use once or a few times if someone nearby has it for me to borrow, and why not share something I have that someone may only need a few times a year? To reduce my consumption and waste, I will create or support the sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.
Freshwater + Oceans
Dishwasher Efficiency
Hand washing dishes can use more energy and hot water than a dishwasher. To save water, I will use a dishwasher and scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.
Freshwater + Oceans
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
Itr's estimated over a billion water bottles are thrown away each year. Even if they were recycled, that still uses energy and resources from the earth. I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 6 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Use Reusable Bags
Plastic bags can be mistaken for food by many wild animals and can end up in habitats that harm wildlife. I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Reduce Animal Products
One kilogram of beef and cheese emits 71kg and 24kg of greenhouse gasses, while 1kg of rice, grains, and legumes emits between 2-4kg. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts emit less than 1kg per 1kg. I will reduce my climate impact by enjoying 2 meatless meals and/or 1 vegan meals each day this week.
Land + Forests
Explore My Area
When we explore natural spaces around us, our connections with them change. I will spend 30 minutes exploring a new area around my neighborhood, office, or campus (e.g., park, water body, nearby trail, community garden, green space, etc.).
Action Track: Community
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will organize or participate in a trash pickup at a local river, beach, or natural body of water.
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?
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Zach Heger 4/12/2024 11:38 AMShoutout Djordje Petrovic for completing more than one daily action today! Thank you all for your continued efforts!!! -
Zach Heger 4/05/2024 3:41 PMTeam,
Good chatting with some of you live this morning! I'd like to shout out Allison Boucher for completing more than one daily action today :)
As a reminder - please continue to check in periodically over the weekend if possible and please review the official rules posted to our green team teams channel under the following path: Detroit Green team --> General --> EcoChallenge '24. Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing or if you have any additional questions or concerns. Thank you all for your impact and I hope you have great weekends.
Thanks,
Zach -
Zach Heger 4/02/2024 5:25 PMShoutout to Jen Ivey for completing more than one daily action today!!👏😊😁 Thank you and keep going! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Use Reusable BagsHow difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
Zach Heger 4/02/2024 5:05 PMThis challenge was very easy for me. Investing in a reusable bag for grocery shopping was a no brainer. This is such a small shift, and I will continue using my reusable bag (and encourage my family to implement as well) well past eco-challenge to enforce sustainability in the long term. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Reduce Animal ProductsHow does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?
Zach Heger 4/02/2024 4:58 PMMeat production is known to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution. Further - producing plant-based foods often requires less energy, land, and water compared to meat. By choosing more plant-based foods, we can help create a more efficient food system!!-
Mahesh Varade 4/15/2024 12:00 AMperfect
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Dishwasher EfficiencyHow can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?
Zach Heger 4/01/2024 5:52 PMMy Household can prepare by implementing small changes - reducing water use while brushing teeth/shaving, taking shorter showers, & running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads only to reduce our overall water usage. We could also install water saving devices (low-flow showerheads, high-efficiency washing machines, etc.). -
Zach Heger 4/01/2024 4:53 PMSo thrilled to be your Captain for this year's challenge! We are in this together and I'm so excited for all the collective impact we'll be creating as a team. Have you selected your #EarthMonthEcochallenge actions yet? Choose your actions and prepare to succeed!!!