Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Donna Chinn

Aquarium of the Pacific

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,314 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

conversation

with a person
UP TO

20

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

22

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

12

zero-waste meals

consumed

Donna's actions

Lifestyle

Natural Fibers

When available, I will purchase clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Pearly Whites

I will purchase toothpaste in an aluminum tube or in a glass jar or make my own!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Lather Up

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, and conditions with either a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Pretty oh so Pretty

I will purchase beauty products that are packaged in sustainable packaging.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 24
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?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 11:17 PM

Good job everyone. We all need to keep up the good work so we can have a better environment.

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Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 10:58 AM

I contacted the offices of my state senator and state assembly representative to ask them to support AB 1080/ SB54 the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act.

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Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 10:25 AM

Good luck, AOP team - we're in the home stretch!

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Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 10:20 AM

This challenge made me examine my plastic use more thoroughly. I also became even more aware of my consumption of other resources: paper, water, electricity, space, and fuel. I had already begun to consciously reduce my spending on manufactured goods that are not necessities, and this challenge gave me more incentive. In less than 100 years, our society has become accustomed to a constant and endless supply of new, inexpensive, and convenient "stuff" without paying attention to the hidden costs associated with MORE. I hope more of us become motivated to change our behaviors to ensure our long-term well-being.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit

What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 9:56 AM

Select food items and personal care products remain my biggest challenge. I buy in bulk or larger sizes - still single-use, but there are fewer, especially the tiny containers than cannot be recycled easily. Split perishable food and its cost with relatives , friends, or neighbors. Refill or transfer bulk personal care products into smaller containers at home. I find that if something is in a smaller container, I tend to use less - that's a bonus.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

Do an inventory of your kitchen to see how many single-use plastics you've used in the past. What are some resuable alternatives to these commonly used products? What would your impact be if you switched all the single-use products from your inventory to reusable?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 9:35 AM

This is another difficult challenge - milk jugs, bread bags, yogurt tubs, berry baskets, prepackaged produce, and I don't have good alternatives yet, other than reusing those containers when possible. Obviously, all of these plastic uses are relatively recent, after glass, paper, or waxed cardboard containers were largely phased out by manufacturers. Of course, if I eliminated all single use plastics, as it was more than 60 years ago, I would leave a smaller footprint. I have to acknowledge that is virtually impossible nowadays. At this point, it would be harder, more costly, and more time consuming to find viable alternatives for some single-use plastics.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

Single use plastics have become normalized in our society to the point that most people don't see them as a problem. What would you say to a friend, colleague, or family member who may not understand why these disposables are an issue?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 9:01 AM

I think this is a not a simple situation where there is one best answer. It depends on who is the person, what are the reasons for and against. It could be as straightforward as educating someone on the scope of the problem and how pollution ultimately affects human health and well-being. Or a suggestion of an easy step to start. Or that the common practice of placing items in a recycling bin is not the same as making them disappear. Or realizing that plastics are petroleum based. Or that litter in our community negatively affects all of us. Or that convenience, low cost, and immediate gratification have longer term consequences and other social costs. Everyone get on board, we're all in this together!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Minimize Packaging

With the added mindfulness of reducing your packaging, what have you noticed about the amount and type of single use plastics used for packaging when you shop in the grocery store?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 1:01 AM

As a customer, I have the best chance of reducing (plastic) packaging in the produce dept. I bring my own produce bags, either reusing repurposed mesh bags from other bulk produce, or commercially produced bags, or sometimes doing without a bag at all. Some produce is pre-packaged in clear plastic boxes, but I believe I see more recyclable options, e.g., #1 PETE than #7 mixed materials. I am more aware of the plastic within plastic bagging for single serve snacks. Products in the store aisles are either plastic jars or tubs, plastic lined boxes, boxes plus plastic liners, cellophane, plastic, or metallic bags. Other than canned goods, I hadn't realized almost all food products have at least some plastic packaging.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Buy Only What I Need

As you have reduced your spending, what have you noticed about your 'health and safety' purchasing habits? How might this change your longer term purchasing decisions?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 12:42 AM

"Health and Safety" purchases are more "needs" rather than "wants", so I have continued to buy these products as needed. This challenge coincided with my restocking of emergency supplies, so I did increase. I looked for products with longer shelf life, such as canned water. I stashed many of my existing plastic utensils for emergency use. Overall, I saved money by buying fewer things.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Pretty oh so Pretty

How can you advocate for the importance of reducing packaging to the rest of your friends, family and larger community?

Donna Chinn 7/31/2019 12:33 AM

Finding beauty products with sustainable packaging is hard! The Body Shop has creams in metal tubes, cardboard boxes, glass jars, although sometimes the lids or caps are plastic. Tom's of Maine used to sell toothpaste in recyclable metal tubes. One solution is to use less or sparingly, and to buy less often, i.e., be less of a consumer. Another type of packaging of concern is gift wrapping. I use gift bags (reusable and reused) most of the time rather than paper or metallic gift wraps or ribbons.

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