Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Katie Holcomb

Environmental Compliance Group – Region 1

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
958 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

50

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

12

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

78

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

162

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

23

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Katie's actions

Food

Use a Reusable Mug / Collapsible Cup

I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own collapsible cup.

COMPLETED 25
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 3 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Water Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Travel Eating

If traveling, I will bring my own airplane snacks and eat at local restaurants to avoid take-out containers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Travel Smart

If traveling, I will bring my own plastic free items (water bottle, grocery bags, collapsible food containers, utensils, straws, etc.) with me.

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

Lifestyle

Watch a Documentary

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Travel Toiletries

If traveling, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me in a TSA approved reusable quart sized bag.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family

Thoughtful Toys

I will only buy cloth, wooden or plant-based natural rubber toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

All Natural Pet Toys

I will give my pets natural alternatives to toys like femur bones and antlers, canvas, natural rubber, hemp, rope or cotton toys. Or I will make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Start Composting

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Brusha Brusha Brusha

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Brusha Brusha Brusha

What are the benefits of switching to bamboo toothbrushes? How would you implore others in your community to make this switch as well?

Katie Holcomb 7/18/2019 5:29 AM

Bamboo toothbrushes are beneficial because they are produced sustainably, and can be disposed of sustainably. The toothbrush I got can be composted, so when it gets old, I plan to put it in my compost bin at my house. The bamboo and bristles break down, and eventually will become food for my plants!

My first step to get others to make this switch would be to purchase several of these for my family members. If people have easy access to something sustainable, they're more likely to use it. If they don't, they're more likely to just grab any toothbrush at the store when they need it, because it's easier.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Travel Eating

Was this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?

Katie Holcomb 7/15/2019 5:08 AM

It wasn't difficult, but it required planning. I went to the west side of Michigan to hike with a friend. We packed a number of snacks for lunch and packed plenty of water so we wouldn't have to get lunch/drinks anywhere. I had a number of random things in my fridge that would've gone bad had we not eaten them this weekend (e.g. carrots, cherries, cheese) so as an added bonus, I avoided wasting that food too.

It actually enhanced our travel experience because we didn't have to take time to pick up food. Instead, we just ate snacks on the trail.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Family Thoughtful Toys

Does your child play differently with natural or repurposed toys than with other toys? If so, how?

Katie Holcomb 7/08/2019 4:50 AM

I don't have a child, but I am going to a baby shower in a week so I purchased natural glass bottles (rather than plastic) for my friend. I'm not sure how the baby will respond to these bottles yet so we'll see!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

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

Katie Holcomb 7/08/2019 4:49 AM

Picking up litter ensures that others in the community have a clean place to live/play. I picked up firework debris that I found in the park, which could present a hazard to children and wildlife in the park.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Travel Smart

How can/did you prepare to be successful in this action? Did you engage in conversation with anyone about your new habit?

Katie Holcomb 7/03/2019 5:22 AM

I traveled over the weekend and I was successful in this action just by planning ahead - I brought my own water bottle and brought snacks in a reusable container.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Pets All Natural Pet Toys

In what ways is supplying your pet with all natural pet toys better for your pet, better for you, and better for the environment?

Katie Holcomb 7/03/2019 4:51 AM

It's better for my pet to get the natural pet bones because he's getting his bone from a natural source rather than eating something that could have any number of chemicals in it - I got him a natural bone and I don't have to worry about what he's digesting.

It's better for me because he tends to tear up every bone he gets, so I don't have to worry about vet visits from him eating something he shouldn't.

There are a lot of environmental benefits - to name a few: 1) a lot of the natural dog bones do not come in packaging, so you reduce that waste stream; 2) the natural dog bones are making use of a part of an animal that may otherwise be discarded.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Travel Toiletries

What is the benefit of using bar soaps or refilling your travel sized containers? Is this an action you think you will keep in your life?

Katie Holcomb 7/03/2019 4:47 AM

Using bar soaps and refilling travel-sized containers is huge! I travel many weekends out of the year, and my significant other travels quite a bit for work. By investing in travel-sized containers, we cut down significantly on the waste we would have generated buying little shampoo/lotion/soap bottles that can only be used for a few days.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Utensils

How can you be an advocate for using resusables instead of disposables for the rest of your community? Where are they currently dependent on disposable cutlery, and how can you convince them of the need for change?

Katie Holcomb 7/03/2019 4:44 AM

Sometimes when you tell someone they should do something, you don't get the best response because people can respond negatively to pressure- you're basically telling them they're not doing it right and you have a better way. Instead, I can advocate by being an example. For instance, when I go to get carry out, if they start to give me plastic cutlery, I can say that I don't need it because I bring my own silverware to work. The more people hear and see people doing that in their community, the more likely they are to change their behaviors.

Read More
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?

Katie Holcomb 7/03/2019 4:40 AM

It feels good knowing that I'm taking little steps towards reducing our country's dependence on trash dumps for dealing with waste. Instead, by doing a little planning, I can completely avoid generating the waste in the first place. Next on my list is trying to find a grocery store where I can bring my own containers for bulk items (e.g. oatmeal, nuts) and for meat/seafood purchases.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Start Composting

Do an inventory of how much food waste you would save from going to the landfill if you start composting all of the time. What are the added benefits of having compost that is readily accessible?

Katie Holcomb 7/03/2019 4:38 AM

I make a lot of meals with fruits and veggies in my home, so composting cuts down significantly on the amount of waste I'm generating at home. Instead of disposing of 2 bags of trash per week, I only end up with about one bag of trash per week. Composting allows me to beneficially reuse those waste streams - the compost is a great nitrogen source for growing veggies in my garden.

Read More