Martha Viehmann

Faith Communities Go Green BPEcochallenge 2025

POINTS TOTAL

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0 THIS WEEK
172 TOTAL

participant impact

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plastic footprint

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plastic item

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idea

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minutes

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Martha's actions

First Steps: Start with You

Learn how plastic is made

Understanding the origins of plastic helps us see its environmental impact more clearly. I will spend 10 minutes learning how plastic is made — from fossil fuels to finished product — and reflect on how that knowledge influences my choices.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Catch microplastics in laundry before they spread

Washing synthetic fabrics releases tiny plastic fibers that end up in our waterways. I will install a washing machine filter or use a microplastic-catching device to capture microplastics before they leave my home — and I will share what I did and why with others to inspire more sustainable laundry habits.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Estimate My Plastic Consumption

Understanding my plastic footprint is a powerful first step toward making change. I will complete a short online plastic calculator, like the one from rePurpose Global, to estimate my annual plastic use and explore ways to reduce it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Give a small gift that helps someone reduce plastic (e.g., tote, bottle, soap bar)

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Why did you choose that particular gift, and how was it received? What conversations did it spark? Post a pic of the gift in the feed!
Martha Viehmann 7/31/2025 7:08 PM
My sister lives on the coast; my visits to the beach with her spark many conversations about plastic (and lots of picking up litter, too). We have exchanged small, practical gifts over the years. I just bought an extra package of my favorite plastic-free dental floss to send to her.

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Martha Viehmann 7/29/2025 8:24 AM
Over the weeks, my awareness of the plastic in my life has increased. I am trying to do more baking to reduce the plastic packaging that comes into our house. I have a few items in mind that I would like to add to increase my "reusable" kit (a collapsable metal cup; quality bamboo flatware that I will actually use; more non-plastic storage containers). I'm curious if 100% cotton thread is easy to come by, though I have thread from several family members, so I am not likely to need to purchase more soon. I'm thinking about writing to the company that makes the inhaler I use daily for asthma; regulations have led to new delivery methods without chlorofluorocarbons, so I would like to thank the company for this new and effective design and then nudge them to consider how to make the device refillable so I don't have to discard a plastic actuator every month. And I note how very small this action is.

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- Kerry Keck 7/29/2025 10:13 AM
  A small step, perhaps, but reducing/eliminating plastic is going to take those small steps by each of us. And the other users of your inhaler will benefit when your company hears & implements your ask.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

Did your estimated plastic footprint surprise you? How does it compare to the global average? After estimating your annual use, how did it feel to put a number on it? Did it inspire a sense of urgency, or something else?
Martha Viehmann 7/29/2025 8:07 AM
I used the Plastic Bank footprint calculator and came in at just below the average for the US. Considering the effort I put in to reducing our plastic use in our home, I can understand why it's so hard to make an impact as an individual (also, some of the choices I can make--like finding condiments in glass jars--don't show up in the calculator and aren't available to everyone).

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- Deborah Jordan 7/31/2025 5:33 AM
  
  Earth Advocate 📣
  I'll have to calculate my use, probably similar.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Which microplastics solution did you choose? Did you learn anything interesting or surprising while deciding what to purchase?
Martha Viehmann 7/22/2025 7:05 PM
Thanks to my husband for learning about Planet Care micro plastic filter. The company takes back the filters for recycling. Next up: looking into ways to reduce the plastic in our clothes.

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Martha Viehmann 7/01/2025 12:31 PM
I would like to find additional actionable steps to reduce my use of plastic.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

How does understanding the origin of plastic change the way you think about using it in everyday life?
Martha Viehmann 7/01/2025 12:30 PM
Plant-based plastics. Hmm. I want to learn more about whether new types of plastic mentioned in the National Geographic video truly biodegrade--or do they leave us with nano-plastics.

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