- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
Melanie Engels
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 730 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO86meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO100milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO1,045pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO77pieces of paperavoided
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UP TO204itemsrecycled
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UP TO66disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO63plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO420additional oz of waterconsumed
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UP TO10itemsdonated
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UP TO1.0greener purchasemade
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UP TO105minutes spentlearning
Melanie's actions
At Work
Go Paperless
I will avoid printing 2 pieces of paper by "going digital" and printing double-sided whenever possible.
At Work
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or vegan meal(s) each day this week.
At Work
Prevent Recycling Contamination
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes learning about which items are recyclable both at my workplace and at home since they may be different, and recycle only those items.
At Work
Turn It Off
I will turn my computer monitor(s) off at my work station when not in use to save energy (I will follow my organization's IT instructions for keeping on, turning off, or restarting computers).
At Home
Learn the Truth about Expiration Dates
I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.
In Our Communities
Support Pollution Reduction
I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.
At Home
Indoor Air Quality
I will spend 30 minutes learning about how indoor air quality impacts health and commit to taking one action to improve indoor air quality in my living space.
In Our Communities
Donate Items
I will help others in need and prevent useful items from going to landfill by donating 5 items.
Health & Well-being
Celebrate a Personal Win
No one person can do everything, but we can all do something. Making one person's worth of difference matters! Share an impact you made related to an Ecochallenge action that you are proud of in the feed.
Health & Well-being
Healthy Hydration
I will improve hydration by drinking an additional 16oz of water each day. I will do this by drinking additional servings of water or by drinking water in place of other less healthy beverage options.
One Healthcare
Creative Solutions
I will share one idea for making my organization more sustainable on our team's feed.
At Work
Work From Home
I will work from home 8 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.
One Healthcare
Network for Change
I will make 1 new healthcare connections at my workplace or beyond to learn from my peers, share best practices, and see if there are opportunities for collaboration
At Work
Last to Leave? Lights Out, Please!
Lighting makes up approximately 10% of hospitals' energy use on average. I will save energy by turning off unnecessary lights when not in use and when I am the last one to leave a space.
At Work
Quality Improvement
I commit to dedicating 15 minutes to exploring my organization's quality improvement resources and examining how quality improvement methodologies can support sustainability projects.
In Our Communities
Support Local Wildlife
I will take one action to support local wildlife, such as adding a food or water source, creating shelter/habitat, preventing light pollution, eliminating bird strikes, or another action.
At Work
Greenwashing
I will spend 15 minutes learning about greenwashing and how to avoid it.
At Work
Greener Purchasing
I will select a greener option when purchasing supplies, such as products that have environmental certifications, less packaging, or other environmental attributes, or come from local vendors.
Health & Well-being
Learn About Constructive Communication
I will spend 15 minute(s) learning about constructive communication.
One Healthcare
Donate Blood at a Versiti Blood Drive
I will donate blood to ensure there are adequate supplies for routine medical services and emergencies. Two opportunities at Froedtert Health are April 14 at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital or April 15 and 18 at Froedtert Hospital.
One Healthcare
Donate Blood
I will donate blood in my community to make sure there are adequate supplies for routine medical services and emergencies.
At Work
Purchase a Coolfood dish at Froedtert Health dining areas
I will try a new Coolfood dish in our dining areas to help reach our goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in the food we serve by 25% by 2030.
One Healthcare
Environmental Footprint of Healthcare
I will spend 15 minutes learning about the environmental footprint of the healthcare industry, how it impacts health, and ways I can help reduce it.
One Healthcare
Use A Reusable Mug/Bottle
I will keep 5 disposable cup(s) and/or bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle, cup, or mug.
At Work
Recycling Champion
I will recycle 1 items at work and/or at home each day, making sure I review recycling program guidelines and only place accepted items that are clean, empty, and dry in the recycling bin.
Participant Feed
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REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth & Well-beingWhy is celebrating important? What are some ways that you like to celebrate?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONIn Our CommunitiesWhat environmental factors affect human health in your region, and how do they affect it?
Melanie Engels 4/30/2025 9:12 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
According to a statewide evaluation by the Wisconsin Waterworks Excellence Project (WWEP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, MWW received A grades in water-quality health and communications, a B grade in financial sustainability, and a D grade in infrastructure. The 64.1 overall infrastructure mark noted there were 21.5 main and service breaks per 100 miles, resulting in 369,929.9 gallons of water lost.
Milwaukee water quality generally exceeds state and federal standards, infrastructure receives low grades - WTMJ -
REFLECTION QUESTIONIn Our CommunitiesWhat is your favorite local plant or animal species? Why is it important to support wildlife, even if it is in small ways, in the areas in which we live?
Melanie Engels 4/27/2025 7:56 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
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Melanie Engels 4/28/2025 1:46 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
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Joyce Fitzgerald 4/28/2025 6:57 AM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAt WorkWhat green attributes do you look for when making purchasing decisions?
Melanie Engels 4/24/2025 6:19 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
I picked the Be Green Story:
Be Green Pro was founded in 2011 while taking a family neighborhood walk. After seeing questionable lawn and property care practices taking place during cold season months, we decided that consumers deserved to have greater awareness about sustainable care for lawns, trees, insects, pests, and snow services that are available, affordable, and effective. Having extensive knowledge and experience in the lawn and landscape industry for over 30 years, we set out on a mission to provide service choices that are safer for people, pets, plants, pollinators, properties, and the planet. Since then, our family, our team members, and our clients have been working together throughout southeast Wisconsin to save thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals from entering homes, businesses, neighborhoods, communities, and the planet!
About Us-
Monica Edwards 4/29/2025 8:14 AM- Eco-Champion 🌎
Thanks for sharing, Melanie! I will have to look into them for our lawn care management! I would love to have an alternative lawn instead of grass, but we rent, so this may be a good alternative.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth & Well-beingWhat is one way you would like to improve your communication skills? Why is constructive communication important at work and at home?
Melanie Engels 4/24/2025 6:14 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
Constructive communication is essential because it can positively resolve conflicts without damaging relationships and collaboration.
To improve my communication skills, I will:
-Use "I" statements and minimize "You" statements to reduce sounding accusatory
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAt WorkWhat have you found to be the biggest pros and cons of working from home?
Melanie Engels 4/21/2025 11:26 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
I have found the biggest pros of working from home to include:
-Not having to commute, leading to less travel time and two extra hours in my day
-Less expenses (gas, vending machine, cafeteria, doordash)
-More work flexibility with breaks, stepping away, and less fatigue
-Less disruptions (water cooler chats, popping by the office, curbside chats, other colleagues working/talking) leading to a quieter work environment and increased productivity
-Better work-life integration, increasing overall work satisfaction
I have found the biggest cons of working from home to include:
-Risk of overworking as the commute to and from work provides discrete transitions from home and work-Unable to disconnect from work and separate work from home-Less face time, leading to less comradery and feeling disconnected from colleagues.-
Melanie Engels 4/24/2025 6:24 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
Hi Monica,
We have virtual and in-person activities. We have done happy hours, trivia, and scavenger hunts in physical settings as well as online. Both are fun! -
Monica Edwards 4/22/2025 7:56 AM- Eco-Champion 🌎
This is great, Melanie! What do you do to increase comradery with colleagues? Do you dedicate time to chat unrelated to work or get together as a team on occasion? This is one on my concerns with going for a work from home position. Looks like the pros outweigh your cons here! Thanks for sharing :)
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Melanie Engels 4/15/2025 2:53 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAt WorkWhat have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
Melanie Engels 4/15/2025 2:50 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
Recycling contamination happens when items are put into the wrong bin or are not properly cleaned.
When items are put into a recycling bin in hopes of being recycled, the entire batch is often rejected and sent to the landfill as trash.
Common contaminants are plastic bags and food remnants.
Actions to avoid recycling contamination include disposing of plastic bags at a designated plastic bag recycling site, such as a supermarket or grocery store, and ensuring items are free of remaining food particles before recycling.
The most challenging thing for me about recycling is not falling into the trap of aspirational recycling, where I put an item, I am uncertain is recyclable in the recycle bin because it "seems" like it "might" be recyclable, and I can avoid sending another item to the landfill. However, this thought process is flawed because it might result in my entire recycling bin with acceptable recycling items being rejected and sent to the landfill, or it could damage recycling machines and, in some cases, even injure recycling employees.
What is Recycling Contamination, and Why Does it Matter? | Rubicon
The seaweed wrapper is something I considered aspirational recycling, but it has greasy sesame oil food contaminants. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONAt HomeWhat did you learn about expiration dates? How do you reduce food waste at home? What are some additional ways you can reduce food waste?
Melanie Engels 4/10/2025 10:15 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
Sell-by, best if used by, use-by, and expiration dates have different meanings. 90% of people in the US misinterpret these labels and throw away food that is still edible. The way food is stored can impact its expiration date. Storing food in the back of the fridge where temperatures are colder or in the freezer can extend the life of food, as well as wrapping certain foods in damp paper towels or aluminum foil. Contamination occurs from bacteria, not natural decay. Improving food storage practices and composting food will help to reduce waste.
What You Need to Know About Food Expiration Dates
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAt WorkHow do you avoid greenwashing? What are additional steps you can take?
Melanie Engels 4/10/2025 12:59 PM- Plant-Based Foodie 🥦
Greenwashing, also known as Green Sheen, is the process of conveying a false impression or misleading information about a company’s products' environmental soundness.
Greenwashing: Definition, How It Works, Examples, and Statistics
Whitewashing is using false information to intentionally hide wrongdoing, error, or an unpleasant situation in an attempt to make it seem less bad than it is.
To avoid greenwashing, I look for labeling that includes official certification from a qualified third-party organization, similar to accreditation seals in healthcare.
Additional steps to take:
1 - Check a product's ingredients list
2 - Review third-party research and analyst reports
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Mark Silva 4/21/2025 10:17 AM- Recycler ♻
I haven't heard of it referred to as "Green Sheen" - I'll have to keep an eye open for that, too!


