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Adam Byers's avatar

Adam Byers

Toronto Zoo - Working Plastic Free

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 499 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    5.0
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    18
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    29
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

Adam's actions

Lifestyle

Natural Fibers

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Just Say No

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Discover Together

I will spend 5 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 2 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 5
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.

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
    Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit
    What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

    Adam Byers's avatar
    Adam Byers 7/22/2019 2:53 PM
    The area where I can reduce waste the most is grocery shopping. Disposable produce bags and packaged foods make up over three quarters of my waste!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusable Bags
    How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

    Adam Byers's avatar
    Adam Byers 7/17/2019 1:44 PM
    This challenge is not difficult because we have more than enough reusable bags at home. The only difficulty is remembering to pack bags ahead of time or keep a few stashed in a convenient place like the trunk of the car or a backpack.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Family Swap the Snacks
    How does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies benefit your family?

    Adam Byers's avatar
    Adam Byers 7/17/2019 1:42 PM
    Prepackaged snacks are tempting because they're ready to eat and often satisfy cravings, especially during field work. But snacks like apples, bananas, or chopped carrots helps prevent waste, and is a much healthier option.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Family Discover Together
    What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

    Adam Byers's avatar
    Adam Byers 7/17/2019 1:31 PM
    As a society, we are only beginning to understand the impact of plastics on the planet. The cumulative long-term effects will likely have significant - and in some cases irreversible - impacts on the health of wildlife, ecosystems, and humans.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Minimize Packaging
    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?

    Adam Byers's avatar
    Adam Byers 7/09/2019 8:35 AM
    Almost all products, even those offered in bulk, are centered around single-use packaging. Charging for plastic bags was only a small step - product packaging needs to be re-designed, or incentives should be offered to promote use of reusable bags or bulk containers.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Keep My Community Clean
    How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

    Adam Byers's avatar
    Adam Byers 7/09/2019 8:33 AM
    Picking up litter creates clean spaces that can be shared with others, and is a visible action that can stimulate thought and further action from community members.