Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Dustie Bourgeois

"Provide inspiration for others to reflect on current habits and consider making improvements that will create a healthier community!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,040 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

58

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

92

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

30

conversations

with people
UP TO

47

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Dustie's actions

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Takeout Pro

I will use my own containers when ordering takeout.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Start Composting

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant a Garden

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

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

I will prepare 4 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Personal Care

Lather Up

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

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?

Dustie Bourgeois 7/29/2019 4:37 AM
I finally mixed up my homemade laundry detergent. It took about 5 minutes, most of that was shredding the soap bars. I was disappointed to discover that the brown paper bags not only come in a plastic bag, but are coated on the inside with plastic. The Oxo-brite comes in plastic as well. But it worked great! I really put it to the test as my first trial run was stranding clothes. (Disclaimer - I did add a cup of white distilled vinegar since I responded to a dead turtle) I'm happy with it and will keep using it. Just have to figure out how to further reduce the plastic.

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- Ryan Barongan 7/31/2019 9:42 AM
  Thank you for sharing!
  
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- Dustie Bourgeois 7/31/2019 5:22 AM
  I've been asked for the recipe. I'm posting it here, in case you are interested:
  
  2lb Baking Soda
  2 bars Kirks Castile Soap
  2lb Washing Soda
  1.5lb Oxo-Brite or Oxi-Clean Free
  Feel free to add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
  
  I ordered all these ingredients from Amazon, but will be looking for local sources in the future.
  
  Read More
Dustie Bourgeois 7/27/2019 4:27 PM
All the 'poison ivy' disposable gloves were at the South Building. So, I improvised! I found a couple of suitable plastic bags from the Terracycle bin and repurposed them into arm protection.

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Dustie Bourgeois 7/22/2019 4:35 PM
I recently discovered The Aroma Therapy Shoppe on First Colonial Road. They make a lot of cool stuff in house. Now, i can buy plant based all natural insect repellent locally instead of the Repel Deet Free i used to buy on Amazon. Supporting a community business AND reducing carbon footprint feels great. Its not just girly bath and body stuff either. They make and sell Guiness Beer Bar soap! Check it out here:
https://thearomatherapyshoppe.com/

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- Allie Hobgood 7/23/2019 6:39 AM
  This is so cool Dustie! Thanks for sharing.
  
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Dustie Bourgeois 7/18/2019 9:41 AM
Thanks to Allie's post, I just ordered these biodegradable dishwasher pods that come in a cardboard box.
https://www.amazon.com/Dropps-Dishwasher-Detergent-Oxi-Action-Lemon/dp/B01H3VGPPM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1BICSNAWVHLIT&keywords=dropps+dishwasher+detergent+pacs&qid=1563467990&s=gateway&sprefix=dropps%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-3
Can't wait to try them out!

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- Ashley Beerbroer 7/19/2019 1:27 PM
  I order some too! I also ordered the laundry pods. Here is to hoping they work well on cloth diapers!
  
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- Allie Hobgood 7/18/2019 1:17 PM
  Hope you love them!
  
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Dustie Bourgeois 7/16/2019 11:09 AM
When Joel Sartore spoke at the Aquarium, he said that each one of us votes every day with our dollar. Every dollar we spend contributes to determining what's on the market. If each of us remembers and considers this when making each of our purchases, we could really have a major impact on changing the market!

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- Allie Hobgood 7/16/2019 12:10 PM
  This is one of my FAVORITE things to tell people.
  
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Dustie Bourgeois 7/02/2019 9:40 AM
Did you know you can even compost pet hair, dryer lint, and vacuum lint! Also, instead of recycling paper, shred it and add it to your compost. It uses only the sun's energy to 'recycle' it rather than man-made energy plus NO carbon footprint because it never leaves your property!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

What did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?
Dustie Bourgeois 7/02/2019 9:25 AM
I ordered and have received the ingredients to make my own laundry detergent. (Kudos to Sarah Rose for providing me the recipe!) It is only 4 ingredients: castille soap, baking soda, washing soda, and OXO-brite (not oxy clean, which is not animal cruelty free-nor is Arm and Hammer). I will probably add essential oils for fresh scent. I plan on making/using it this weekend. I'll post the results!

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- Allie Hobgood 7/02/2019 10:08 AM
  Good luck Dustie!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Dustie Bourgeois 7/01/2019 12:31 PM
Did you know you can even compost your paper towels and napkins if they do not have any grease/oil on them? If you use non-toxic cleaners like Method, you can compost those paper towels also. I compost a lot of paper towels whenever I clean windows.

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