Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Beth Beek Blackford

Recycle Brevard 2019

"It ALL matters."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
692 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

150

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

14

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

10

conversations

with people

Beth's actions

Personal Care

Lather Up

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Make Your Own

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 15
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

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 11
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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Natural Paints

I will paint rooms in my home with low/no VOC or natural paints.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

DIY Cat Litter

I will swap out my cat's litter for sawdust, mulch, and dirt with baking soda.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Pet Waste

I will spend 33 minutes learning how to compost pet waste at home or research pet waste composting services available in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Personal Care

Back in the Bowl

I will purchase refillable beauty products.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Pretty oh so Pretty

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

UNCOMPLETED
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

Participant Feed

Beth Beek Blackford 7/17/2019 6:58 PM
FOOD - MAKE YOUR OWN - Tonight's ho m emade ice cream is fresh peach!

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Beth Beek Blackford 7/13/2019 12:56 PM
Hey Team,
Do you realize that our efforts have put us in 58th place, out of 760 teams?! That is pretty darned awesome, and is a perfect illustration of just how effective those "little, insignificant steps" can be when added up!

Congratulations to us!

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- Chris Kane 7/14/2019 1:03 AM
  Ty for keeping team updated beth
  When I get home I hope to keep everyone in the loop
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How do you feel about being more involved in the food preparation process? Joyful, overwhelmed, engaged, empowered? What are the benefits of choosing to process or produce your own food instead of buying it pre-processed?
Beth Beek Blackford 7/11/2019 12:27 PM
I LOVE making my own food from scratch; it empowers me and lets me express my creativity in a very prescribed way. Take pizza dough for example - it's dead easy for most of us to throw some very basic, inexpensive ingredients together and watch yeast do its magic! I've gotten very distrustful of big food companies because I know what's good for their bottom line is NOT good for my body. Conspiracy theorist? Watch the movie and decide for yourself: https://ia902606.us.archive.org/12/items/FedUp2014Documentary/Fed-Up_2014_Documentary.mp4

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- Chris Kane 7/17/2019 1:58 AM
  loved that documentary - have to rewatch it as it's been a few years; highly recommend also
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Beth Beek Blackford 7/11/2019 11:45 AM
I see much less pre-packaged produce in Styrofoam trays wrapped with plastic cling-wrap, but the trays are being replaced by PETE 1 clam-shell boxes or sturdier supplier-generated plastic zip-top plastic bags. There is still loose produce that almost everyone places into a single-use plastic bag, so I'm not sure there's any fewer bags being consumed. Also, the bags on rolls now seem flimsier and softer, which would tend to jam up recycling machinery if they are missorted. I've been using dish towels sewn in half for a couple years, now.

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Beth Beek Blackford 7/09/2019 7:38 PM
Welcome Rhoda! So happy to see more Women of the Wild joining our challenge!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

How can/did you prepare to be successful in this action? Did you engage in conversation with anyone about your new habit?
Beth Beek Blackford 7/08/2019 7:35 PM
I think repetition is the key to success. I'm very picky about some of my personal care products & always pack TSA sizes. Other things I like to purchase afield - lets me travel lighter & explore local choices, some of which are far superior to my own!

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Beth Beek Blackford 7/08/2019 12:27 PM
PERSONAL CARE - THAT WAS A CLOSE SHAVE - Shhh! Don't tell him, but I bought my husband a really nice safety razor, which he's been jonesing for for months. Even though he wears a beard & mustache, he scuba dives, and it's imperative to have a smooth surface for his mask to seal around his face properly. He complains that my Harry cartridge razors don't "cut it". I'll admit, I selected one that feels good in MY hands, too, because I'm switching as well. My Harry and Preserve razors & unused cartridges will go to the thrift shop near me, not the homeless shelter, which sadly only uses disposable razors. Going to try to find a solution to that...

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care

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?
Beth Beek Blackford 7/07/2019 4:18 PM
Answering as a woman in her 60's, I've personally experienced the lifecycle of razors and believe that once the safety razor made shaving easier for men & women, our needs had been met. I think it's likely that the Convenience & Disposable Era of the 1960's convinced more than just the forgetful traveler that throw-away cartridge razors were desirable, & the more blades the better! Now, the throw-back to steel razors is marketed to snobs as "a return to elegance", and to environmentalists as "how to save the planet". Whatever works best for our infinitely creative, capitalistic system in the US will eventually dominate the world market. It's really down to manufacturers to offer the sustainable choice.

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Beth Beek Blackford 7/07/2019 3:30 PM
LIFESTYLE - NATURAL FIBERS - I am so pleased to have finally found kitchen tools made from natural materials! Although Twist brand products have apparently been around for over a decade, I only discovered them in Feb 2019. Clever, funny, effective: my favorite tool has now replaced that ubiquitous yellow sponge + green pad with a dye-free plant-based cellulose sponge + sewn-on slice of loofah! Works great, and today I discovered that there's also a version with sewn-on dye-free scrubber pad. Sure enough, there are clean geeks like me who worked out a better product at a comparable price. I wrote and told them how much I appreciate their ingenuity!
http://twistclean.com/products/

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Beth Beek Blackford 7/06/2019 8:45 PM
REFUSE - Enjoyed a nice dinner out tonight, but had some leftovers. "Would you like a box for that?" "Only if it's plastic & Styrofoam-free." "Would tinfoil do?" "Perfect, thank you!"

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