Kate Dillman

Akron Zoo - Staff

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,103 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

25

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

plastic bottle

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

93

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

26

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Kate's 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 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Brusha Brusha Brusha

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Glass Bottle Baby

I will replace 1 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Invest in a Pooper-Scooper

I will swap out my single use plastic bags for a pooper-scooper.

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Swap the Snacks

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

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Pets Invest in a Pooper-Scooper

How are caring for your pet and caring for the environment connected for you?

Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 6:43 PM

I think everything is interconnected. I want my pets to have the greatest lives they can and they can only do that if the environment is also being cared for. My dog loves being outside, but I don't want him in pollution and trash. And I don't want him polluting the environment so I properly clean up his waste. My snake has all natural substrate that I compost, but I am looking for a way to get her substrate that isn't in a plastic bag.

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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?

Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 8:44 AM

I really liked my bamboo toothbrush and need to buy a new one (my dog ate mine). I guess one benefit is when my dog chewed mine up I didn't worry about him eating plastic (he didn't eat anything, just chewed it). I also think since bamboo is easy to come by it would be easy to make them. I think educating people on how they are better for the environment and how they aren't any different for your teeth than the plastic is what you need to do. I think also getting dentists to pass out the bamboo over the plastic is also important. A lot of people only use the brushes given by dentists so start at the source.

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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?

Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 7:35 AM

I think it all depends on education. You can tell someone to use reusables all you want, but if you don't give them a good reason and some facts about it then chances are they'll ignore you. I think it is the season for plastic silverware with all the festivals and picnics.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Containers

How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 7:06 AM

I don't know if I think outside the box when it comes to my reusable containers. I've always preferred glass containers so I've accumulated lots throughout the years. I do have a plastic container that I got from a restaurant for take home a while ago that I carry with me now to restaurants. The key is not caring about the weird looks I get when I pull it out of my purse.

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Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 5:25 AM

If anyone has a solution for dog food, I'd be grateful. I use two 30 pound bags a month and that's a huge mostly plastic bag. I don't just throw the bag away and it typically gets used for a trash bag, but it's still going to sit in the landfill forever.

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Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 5:22 AM

I'm very glad that I took this challenge and have modified how I live my life. It is by no means perfect at this point, but it's much better. I still use things that I can hopefully find more eco friendly alternatives for. I am, however, not going to stop with just one month and will try to continue throughout the rest of the year.

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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?

Kate Dillman 7/31/2019 5:18 AM

Single use plastic is everywhere at the grocery store. It has been very challenging to find my normal products without plastic. I've also found that most of it is pointless or just for advertising. Why are there things in bags, inside another bag? Makes no sense to me.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Homemade Cleaners

What did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?

Kate Dillman 7/29/2019 5:03 PM

I've learned that I prefer making my own rather than buying. It is more time consuming, but I know that my products are eco friendly and safe for me and my pets. I'd rather take an extra 10 minutes out of my day to make a product that isn't all harsh chemicals and reuse a spray bottle rather than pick up something at the store. I've also learned that distilled white vinegar can be used for so many different things. For the longest time, I've only used it to remove mineral buildup on my snake's enclosure.

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Kate Dillman 7/29/2019 4:42 PM

I've been renovating my house for almost two years now and doing it without single use plastic or lots of waste in general is hard. Every part comes double or triple bagged. To off set some of this and the overall cost, my dad and I have been reusing, repurposing, and recycling everything we can so I've had very little go to the landfill.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit

What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

Kate Dillman 7/29/2019 4:36 PM

I realized most of my waste is actually compostable so I've been researching how to compost at home. More than likely it'll be a home project for next summer, but I've added to my home renovations list. My second biggest waste is cardboard. I'm very grateful that Cuyahoga Falls recycles and takes all if it after my dog finishes destroying all the boxes.

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