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Welcome to Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019 expert in no time!

Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums
Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019
July 1 - July 31, 2019
Barbara Revard's avatar

Barbara Revard

Columbus Zoo Staff & Volunteers

" “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,312 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    90
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    26
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Barbara's actions

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Personal Care

Brusha Brusha Brusha

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden in my home, workplace, or community garden

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Pets

Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal

I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

That Was a Close Shave

I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors. Why not try using hair conditioner instead of shaving foam for that baby smooth feel?

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?

  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/31/2019 6:45 PM
    To all of our Columbus Zoo Staff and Volunteer team members - I can't believe how quickly July has gone! You still have a few hours to log in, check in, check off actions and post your thoughts, so go for it! I have been so impressed with our team's efforts, with your candor in sharing your successes and the actions that didn't go quite as planned. I feel that many of us now know one another on a new level and that is a very good thing! We were in this challenge together, representing the Columbus Zoo and I thank you all so much for your participation. Tomorrow I will send a recap of our actions and the actions of MORE THAN 15,000 PEOPLE! Just today, with time left, our team has logged over 1200 points. I really appreciate the fact that you didn't stop your actions just because we are at the end of the calendar month. Our hope is that the actions you chose will stick with you long after today, and will create lifelong habits. It's a beautiful world out there and your actions matter!
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/31/2019 4:23 PM
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/31/2019 1:51 PM
    Go Team Go! Don't forget you have until midnight to log any remaining actions and post comments to earn those last points!
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care That Was a Close Shave
    What have you noticed about the economic and social impact of switching to steel razors? Was there ever really a need for disposable razors, or do you think it was just a way to sell more things?
    Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/31/2019 11:48 AM
    I think that over time I will appreciate the savings from not buying refill heads for my disposable plastic razor. It seemed every time I needed to buy them, the price had gone way up. And while I always took notice of that, it wasn't until this month that I finally took action to switch. 
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/29/2019 11:15 AM
    Saturday I was stocking up on green beans to put in the freezer and somehow I lost one of my reusable produce bags. I sure hope whoever found it knew what it was and will use it:-)
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/26/2019 7:38 PM
    Stopped by a farm market and bought all sorts of fruits and vegetables, put them in my reusable produce bags and bingo, no plastic at all!
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/25/2019 2:04 PM
    Hey Team! We're down to 7 days left in our 31 day challenge. Still plenty of time to post your thoughts, record actions and be an inspiration to others! I have seen such great comments in our feed - you all rock! Please do still nudge others to join either our staff and volunteer team or the Columbus Zoo Community team. We need less than 1,000 participants to hit 16,000 motivated people who have pledged to change their personal actions and help the environment. Let’s go!
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/25/2019 1:55 PM
    Epic fail! Waiting at the hospital all afternoon and finally asked for a cup of coffee. It came in a styrofoam cup😞I was actually surprised that OSU still uses those. #leftmycupinthecar  
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/23/2019 1:05 PM
    Got this interesting scrubber from Mighty Nest. Rather than a plastic scrubbie, this is made from peach pits! Haven't used it yet but I am definitely going to try it out on my cast iron skillets.
    Read More
  • Barbara Revard's avatar
    Barbara Revard 7/23/2019 11:00 AM
    The winners of our last challenge, to create your first post, were Cindy Cupps and Barbi Kealy! They have each won a set of Chico Bag Travel Zip pouches, to replace using plastic zip-top bags. CONGRATULATIONS!
    Read More