Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Jenni StJohn-Albright

SF Teaching Zoo Zero Wasters

"To be an example to my children that it doesn't take much to make a change that counts"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
883 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

28

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

90

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

1.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

29

zero-waste meals

consumed

Jenni's actions

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

I will prepare 1 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Dam the Flow

I will use a menstrual cup and/or cloth pads

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use a Reusable Mug / Collapsible Cup

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own collapsible cup.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Brusha Brusha Brusha

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary film about waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Complete a Waste Audit

I will conduct a waste audit - including recyclables and compost - to understand how much waste I create and where I can reduce the most.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Start Composting

I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Create Your Own Action

Outside the Box

This is to track the little things that I do or try out that don't fit into another category. I have some good ideas that I want to try & if I have it is here it will be an extra little push to follow through on them.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/30/2019 5:26 PM

So it does not seem that I am going to accomplish all that I have set out to do by the end of the month, tomorrow. But I am proud of the choices & changes that I did make and will continue. That's what is the great thing about these challenges is that you can figure out what works & what did not. I am still doing the changes that I made last year, so I am confident that the ones that I made this year will carry over.

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Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/30/2019 5:19 PM

Got excited that I found a company that does plastic free wooden lures for my husband to fish with. I stepped out of my comfort zone and called them to ask some questions about their company. They are a Gainesville local company that make every lure by hand. The only down side was that their packaging is plastic.

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Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/20/2019 6:53 AM

Replaced my chapstick that comes in a plastic container with one in a cardboard tube. Found this option at Life Unplastic

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Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/20/2019 6:50 AM

Got my first Bamboo toothbrush at Life Unplastic

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Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/20/2019 6:49 AM

Replaced my replacement stainless steel blades that came in a plastic container with one that is in a cardboard box.

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Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/15/2019 6:28 PM

I went shopping at Lucky's in Gainesville today & got some bacon & chorizo wrapped in paper instead of plastic.

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Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/15/2019 6:19 PM

So today was one of those days that I made some good plastic free choices, followed by some not so great ones. I went to Chipotle for lunch bc they have cardboard containers to eat out of, so I felt good about that choice. I forgot to bring my utensils for myself & my daughter, so we had to use their plastic ones. 😖 I was a little hard on myself until I remembered the posting I have seen that said that we don't need a few people doing this perfectly but a lot of people doing it imperfectly.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use a Reusable Mug / Collapsible Cup

Great job on getting rid of your disposable cup habit! How does it make you feel? What's next on your list to reduce your waste?

Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/10/2019 6:55 PM

I feel good using a reusable cup regularly instead of a disposable cup that will end up taking up space in the landfill for thousands of years. I like that there are businesses in my area that will let me use my reusable cup, especially in the drive thru, and will make my drink in my cup, so that there is no waste. I want to be better with having my own utensils available. I have more aware of places using plastic utensils as their regular utensils.

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- Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/13/2019 12:41 PM
  
  The Starbucks on Newberry Rd by the mall are good at making your drink in your cup & not just dump it in. You have to tell them when you order that you have your own cup, so that they don't start making it in a plastic cup.
  
  Read More
- Cindy Woodruff 7/12/2019 10:56 AM
  
  I’d love to know which drive through!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/10/2019 6:41 PM

Picking up litter in your community ends up being an act of service for your community and the environment. It's making an area that is shared amongst strangers better. It is a little frustrating that there is soo much litter to pick up in my community but what helps me remain motivated to pick up other people's filth is an act of love for the environment.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Share My Actions

In what ways is social media an effective tool for sharing your values?

Jenni StJohn-Albright 7/10/2019 6:11 PM

Social media can be an effective tool to share your values & to inspire others to share their values as well. The best part is that we can share pictures to serve as examples as to what we do in our lives.

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