Karen MacKenzie

Community Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
179 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

38

minutes

spent learning

Karen's actions

First Steps: Start with You

Support businesses with plastic-free or refillable options

Where we spend our money shapes the market. I will support a business that offers plastic-free, low-waste, or refillable products or services.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Find out why plastic recycling isn’t working as we expect and where plastics end up

Many of us recycle with good intentions, but most plastic doesn’t get recycled. I will spend 5 minutes learning why plastic recycling falls short and what really happens to plastic waste.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

First Steps: Start with You

Discover the difference between bioplastics, compostable plastics, and recyclable plastics

Not all “eco-friendly” plastics are created equal. I will spend 5 minutes exploring the differences between bioplastics, compostable plastics, and recyclable plastics—and what happens to each at the end of its life.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

First Steps: Start with You

Design my grocery routine for less plastic

Our grocery habits are one of the biggest sources of single-use plastic, from packaging on produce to plastic bags and containers. I will spend 20 minutes researching low-plastic shopping strategies and make a list of things to look for or do differently the next time I go to the store.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Understand plastic labels

Those recycling numbers and symbols can be confusing. I will spend 3 minutes learning what different plastic labels mean, including what can and can’t be recycled, to make more informed choices when I shop.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

What’s one change to your grocery habits that felt more manageable than expected — or harder than expected? Why do you think some products, like produce, started amassing so much plastic packaging? Who is the plastic packaging really serving -- the consumer, the producer, or someone else?
Karen MacKenzie 7/11/2025 7:50 AM
COVID-19 seemed to mark a change in how much produce is individually packaged rather than in bulk bins. I will investigate some local farm markets in an effort to reduce my plastic waste.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

How do these different materials shift your sense of what’s truly “sustainable” — and what’s just marketing? Are bioplastics accepted by your city's waste management?
Karen MacKenzie 7/11/2025 7:47 AM
We have tried to compost at home, but the correct mix of materials and regular turning are difficult to maintain. Our church is about to start composting and I am looking forward to contributing and to learning more about how to make it successful.

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- Nara S 7/12/2025 4:40 PM
  
  Plant Parent 🪴
  I don't turn mine that regularly - maybe once a month (def should try more often). But I do try to follow the 1 part greens to 3 parts browns. Since I freeze all my food scraps before I take them outside to the compost bin (an old tote that I drilled holes in the bottom), I don't have to add water that frequently. Most times when I add materials (always add browns when adding greens), I'll do a quick turn/shake of the tote just to mix it up a little (with the lid on lol). Another tip is making food materials small - like cutting up a corn cob or chopping anything bigger. If using paper, cardboard, or paper bag, making sure it's also torn up into smaller pieces - it helps everything break down faster.
  
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Karen MacKenzie 7/09/2025 8:04 AM
I've been so busy that it's been difficult to check in during the week. I'm hopeful I can be more mindful of the daily reminders for the rest of the month.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

What was the most eye-opening fact you learned about the limits of recycling, and how might it shift your habits? How do you feel knowing that so much of what we put in recycling bins may never actually be recycled? What should we do differently?
Karen MacKenzie 7/05/2025 8:12 AM
I think the biggest effect we can have is to reduce the amount of plastic we use. I was aware that very little is recycled and try to only put my "best" plastic in for recycling but, with mixed-stream recycling collected at curbside, I wonder how much is contaminated by others who do not know which plastics are recyclable and what "prep" is needed before putting in the bins.

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Karen MacKenzie 7/04/2025 7:32 AM
I joined because there's so much plastic waste. It's so hard to avoid purchasing things in plastic and I hope to learn enough to do better and encourage others to do so as well.

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