Kathy Fox

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Save the Sea Turtles team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
49 TOTAL

Kathy's actions

Food

Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

I will prepare 3 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 1 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Lifestyle

Natural Fibers

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?

Kathy Fox 7/31/2019 8:31 AM

I now buy ice cream at the local ice cream shops more sustainably. I encourage you to bring your own reusable plastic or bamboo spoons, a container, a cloth napkin. Some establishments agreed to fill my own personal container, but at most I have to buy ice cream on a cone, then put it in the container, use my own spoons and napkins. The ice cream shop employees (usually young people) and owners seem to be very happy to see me purchasing like this. Sends a good positive message that we can all do better.

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Kathy Fox 7/31/2019 8:24 AM

I found it to be very difficult to be plastic free in my food purchasing during the month of July. It seemed many of the foods I buy on a regular basis are packaged in plastic, even when they are purchased at the local farmer's markets and almost all organic. Very frustrating. I did make my own hummus and put all of it in small glass containers, but that takes time I do not always have. This gave me more resolve to help get the Bethlehem Food Co-op opened here in Bethlehem, PA. We have the power to give our shoppers a better opportunity to buy products in reusable containers and with less plastic.

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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?

Kathy Fox 7/30/2019 6:49 AM

I have little waste because I do recycle and compost. However, this month has been very frustrating to me because I found that much of the food I purchase, even at farmer's markets, is packaged in plastic. I wash, dry and reuse most of these, so they are not always single-use, but at some point, I have no more uses for them. There are no recycling numbers on them, so I need to through them away. Even the homebaked bread and lettuce I buy at the farmer's market comes in plastic..... At least most of the other produce does not.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

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

Kathy Fox 7/28/2019 1:21 AM

Haven't done as well on this as I had hoped. I have stopped the car to pick up single-use plastic, but also passed some up because of time, inconvenience, etc.

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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?

Kathy Fox 7/20/2019 11:58 AM

I've replaced Glad wrap with beeswax or reusable plastic container I already own or glass jars I've been saving. I find that at times the decision on buying something in a plastic bag at a local small natural foods store (example organic raisins), or a boxed version (organic raisins) at a big regional/national grocery store puts me in a dilemma of choosing. I've been choosing to buy from the local small shop. The good news is I often wash and reuse the plastic bags. All the bread at the farmer's market comes in plastic bags. I wash and reuse. Pennsylvania has many strict rules about packaging (like can't bring back glass containers to be reused (as in the organic ground-at-the-store peanut butter the local natural food store sells). I made my own hummus instead of buying it in a plastic container, and put it in glass containers I've been saving.

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