Vince Budak is participating in the Campus Ecochallenge!

Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Vince's points

0 TODAY
40 THIS WEEK
463 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

90

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

5.6

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

20

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

90

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning

Vince's actions

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 4 gallons (15 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

I will save up to 0.21 lbs (0.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Go Paperless and Opt Out of Junk Mail

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Visit a Local Recycling Center, Landfill, or Transfer Station

Seeing where waste goes can change how we think about what we throw away. I will visit a local facility to learn more about the waste stream in my community and share what I learn with others and in the feed.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support A Sharing Economy

I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, neighbors or classmates.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Commute By Bike

I will commute by bike 4 miles each day and avoid sending CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make Smart Seafood Choices

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minutes per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn Off Lights and Electronics

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Vince Budak 5/28/2026 2:38 PM

This week I helped my parents plant their yearly summer garden. They have some metal tubs that are great planter beds and every summer they plant tons of edible stuff that contributes to salads and cooking all season. I helped them plant lettuce, kale, arugula, peppers, green onions, tomatoes, beans, squash, and basil (might be forgetting a thing or two).
It was nice to enjoy the hot weather we've had lately and I'm excited for when the garden becomes harvest-able. Their backyard always becomes more lively as a result with lots of bees and bugs as well as squirrels, crows, pigeons, etc who visit the growing plants. I'll spend more time outside over the coming weeks helping them water and tend to the veggies as they grow.

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- Amy Minato 5/31/2026 5:59 PM
  
  that is awesome! metal tubs are great for folks without garden space
  
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- Lauren Neville 5/29/2026 3:57 PM
  
  What an adorable family bonding moment :') I also love when creating a garden brings more life to the yard. Its an undervalued form of entertainment that brings so much serenity. I miss having a yard for this reason, but I'm lucky I have friends with houses to enjoy theirs, like you do with your parents.
  
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Vince Budak 5/23/2026 7:09 PM

I recently purchased a GPS, and as a map nerd, I'm really excited to get out and about and get spatial data on random places around the city that I can use to make maps with. Today, I went around the perimeter of my house and the backyard, recording lines and points to get a satellite-accurate measurement of the dimensions of the property. It was a nice way to enjoy the afternoon sun outside and engage with a bit of tech at the same time!

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- Kristi Gifford 5/27/2026 7:48 AM
  
  That sounds like such a fun and creative way to connect with both technology and your surroundings! I love how you combined your interest in maps with getting outside—it turns something technical into an outdoor experience rather than just screen time.
  
  It’s also really cool that you focused on your own space first. Mapping the perimeter of your house and backyard seems like a great starting point, and it probably gave you a new perspective on a place you see every day. There’s something meaningful about turning familiar spaces into data—it makes you notice details you’d normally overlook.
  
  Your approach also highlights a different side of sustainability and engagement with place. By collecting your own spatial data, you’re building a deeper understanding of where you live, which can really strengthen that sense of connection to the environment. Plus, doing it while enjoying the afternoon sun is a nice reminder that technology doesn’t always have to pull us away from nature—it can actually enhance how we experience it.
  
  It’d be interesting to see what you create with the data next—like mapping neighborhood features, green spaces, or even changes over time. Overall, this is a great example of blending curiosity, technology, and being present outdoors.
  
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- Amy Minato 5/25/2026 1:37 PM
  
  i love maps too! did you get the italian map photo i sent?
  
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- Elizabeth Conlon 5/24/2026 6:11 AM
  
  When I moved here, the board of tourism gave me a water bottle and a bandana with a map of the city with all the roads and bike paths. It's one of the most useful and thoughtful things I own.
  
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Vince Budak 5/17/2026 2:46 PM

This week, since the weather is getting warmer, I've gotten my bike out of the garage finally. I normally take the bus to work and to school, but very occasionally will drive. I have decided to bike instead to work when viable as it's only about 2 miles each way. One the occasional time that I do decide to drive, I will instead bike, saving some emissions.

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- Amy Minato 5/19/2026 1:51 PM
  
  is it a safe and pleasant ride? sometimes that makes all the difference
  
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Vince Budak 5/10/2026 7:20 PM

For the past couple of months I have been using yard work tools from the NEP Tool Library. They allow rental of various different gardening, landscaping, and household tools, and there are chapters in North, East, Southeast, and Southwest Portland. The libraries are usually run out of communal buildings (churches, schools, etc.) so you meet all sorts of people when going to rent a tool and it's a great way to get in touch with your community. It's fun to chat with people and see what tools they're renting and what projects they are working on. It's especially helpful when you need some specialty tool that you'd never buy or use otherwise for a single-use job.

Here's a link: https://www.portland.gov/bps/sustainability/resourcefulpdx/home-improvement/tool-libraries

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- Amy Minato 5/11/2026 4:51 PM
  
  thanks for the link! i wish every nieghborhood had one..
  
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- Sam Dare 5/11/2026 12:50 PM
  
  Hey Vince, I love the idea of renting tools from the library. I didn't know this was a thing! - Thanks for the tip. We have some garden beds around the house, and my hope is that, with the things I continue to learn at Learning Gardens Laboratory, I will be much better prepared to plant some veggies in those beds when the time comes.
  
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- Cole Christ 5/10/2026 8:57 PM
  
  I used to use the tool library up north by Alberta quite a bit, they had a tiller that was so nice to borrow. Sometimes it is nice because some people are just bored and want something to do, so you can rope them into projects. I met a couple friends that way since we never knew what to do on our days off.
  
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Vince Budak 5/03/2026 3:56 PM

This week I chose to conserve by brushing my teeth without running water. I don't usually leave the faucet running while I brush, so I modified my routine slightly to just barely wet the brush (with toothpaste already on) at the start, and then only use a small re-usable cup for washing out my mouth and the brush afterwards. In total the faucet only runs for about 2 seconds to fill the cup plus a split second to wet the brush. I think this is about as efficient and sustainable as I can make it and the impact is multiplied as I brush my teeth everyday (usually twice... usually...)

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- Amy Minato 5/04/2026 1:23 PM
  
  well every little bit...
  
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- Patrick Dolan 5/03/2026 8:11 PM
  
  Hey Vince,
  This is a great way to act in a more sustainable way on a personal level! Though it may not seem like much, thousands of gallons of water get wasted by idle usage every year by one person. So, not only understanding and recognizing the issue, but also creating a meaningful solution is great! I have a similar issue with shaving and I feel like I waste so much water when it comes to shaving my face. I've tried shaving when taking a shower and it works, I just forget to do it sometimes.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What did you learn about the impact of your seafood choices on ocean health? What challenges, if any, did you encounter when trying to make more sustainable seafood choices?
Vince Budak 4/26/2026 10:36 AM

I spent some time on seafoodwatch.org researching types of fish that they recommend we avoid buying. Sushi is my favorite food and I find myself consuming fish somewhat regularly, so I feel its important to be more informed about at least what types of fish to possibly avoid when purchasing. Seafoodwatch suggests that eel (unagi) and some types of shrimp (ebi) should be avoided due to unsustainable harvesting practices and poorly managed fisheries. The big culprit, however, is bluefin tuna (probably unsurprising) as it features heavily in many types of sushi. The industry is plagued with severe over-fishing issues that threaten the sustainability of the tuna population. I will avoid these kinds of fish on sushi in the future.

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- Amy Minato 4/27/2026 2:59 PM
  
  did you determine which sushi product was most sustainable? at least sushi has very little fish in it
  
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Vince Budak 4/19/2026 5:42 PM

I focused this week on reducing my electricity usage by turning off and unplugging more electrical appliances. I hadn't considered the "standby usage" of many electronics wherein they use power while turned off but still plugged in. Some sources I found say that 5-10% of all household electrical usage is caused by appliances on standby, so I made a concerted effort to turn off power strips and unplug things where possible. I think I will certainly continue to unplug my power strips in the future as its very easy to do and many of my electronics are plugged into a strip, so the impact is compounded. The weather has been a nice taste of summer to come and prompts me to open more windows and utilize natural airflow rather than relying on the fans the I've using through the winter and spring.

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- Amy Minato 4/20/2026 6:59 PM
  
  power strips do make it so much easier to unplug
  
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- Cole Christ 4/19/2026 8:12 PM
  
  I love putting power strips on timers for appliances where the power draw is not super intensive on start ups. Sometimes that standby usage is worth having if it is a fairly well used one. For example, for my lights on one power strip there is a timer that turns everything completely off on that strip, which does reduce phantom power usage for "smarter" appliances. It's awesome that you are able to be consistent with turning things off manually! Summer I feel like is always a challenge to reduce electricity usage, just because of how hot it gets around here.
  
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Vince Budak 4/07/2026 3:14 PM

I have some old but still functioning electronics that I would like to donate. A tech recycling staple that some Portlanders might be familiar with: Freegeek takes donations of up to 20 items at their SE location (1731 SE 10th Ave) Wed - Sat 11 am - 4 pm. I will be donating a few things either tomorrow or Thursday.

Info if interested: https://www.freegeek.org/donatetech

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- Amy Minato 4/13/2026 3:13 PM
  
  free geek is great! this could be your independent field trip organization..
  
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- Jake Hansen 4/12/2026 11:07 PM
  
  This is super cool, I've always wondered what options there are to dispose of/recycle old phones and other devices. The amount of resources that go into creating electronics just for them to be thrown out after a couple years is kind of crazy.
  
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- Edgar Padilla Fierros 4/08/2026 1:03 PM
  
  This is super cool, I have old tech that could use minor upgrades and some that I no longer had use for. Thank you. This is about to become my most visited site/location in Portland
  
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Vince Budak 4/06/2026 8:42 AM

I realized I was accidentally on the Winter 2026 Team page for the past few days - oops! Now we're in the right spot.

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- Amy Minato 4/07/2026 8:08 AM
  
  easy to do..glad you were able to switch
  
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Vince Budak 4/06/2026 8:38 AM

For this week I'm focusing on paper waste. I like to have physical copies of school work on occasion and double-side printing is something I often forget. I printed articles for two of my other classes yesterday double-sided to save on paper. I also went through my email inbox for any paper subscriptions and switched them to digital. I have been investigating the USPS' method for opting out of mailing lists - specifically paper junk mail like credit card offers and whatnot. I am looking into registering on dmachoice.org which allows one to reduce promotional mail offers from companies and businesses not already affiliated with.

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- Amy Minato 4/13/2026 3:12 PM
  
  so great to opt out of junk mail!
  
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