Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Liv Dillon

New York Aquarium

"I want to really focus on eliminating plastics from my lifestyle by avoiding pre-packaged foods."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
621 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

14

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

7.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill

Liv's actions

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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Takeout Pro

I will use my own containers when ordering takeout.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Lather Up

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Dam the Flow

I will use a menstrual cup and/or cloth pads

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase produce items without plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Brusha Brusha Brusha

I will replace my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.

COMPLETED
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

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

Lifestyle

Travel Eating

If traveling, I will bring my own airplane snacks and eat at local restaurants to avoid take-out containers.

COMPLETED
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

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Discover Together

I will spend 3 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

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 Homemade Cleaners

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

Liv Dillon 7/22/2019 7:18 AM

I'm not sure this should really "count" but instead of getting a fabric cleaner I used a stiff brush and baking soda to clean my couch today. It worked GREAT! In fact, the last time I cleaned a couch I used a commercial product and it left a discoloration. The more natural and 0 plastic method involved brushing the entire couch with a stiff brush to break up grease and dirt, then I covered the couch with baking soda, then I brushed in the baking soda. You wait 1 - 24 hours (I did about 10) and then vacuum up the baking soda. Do another quick stiff brush and one more vaccum and it's done!

Read More
Liv Dillon 7/21/2019 10:10 AM

Yesterday I went with a friend to a Lake in NJ to avoid the heat. It was really amazing to visually see the difference of "thinking" about plastic, and not. I had 0 plastic waste from the day and at the end of the day I took her trash home and was left with 5 pieces of non-recyclable plastic I had to chuck, 2 take out containers with lids (which I kept) and 4 plastic forks (none of which were used). It was a nice visual reminder of my old lifestyle vs. my new lifestyle! Great challenge NY Aquarium!

Read More
Liv Dillon 7/15/2019 4:49 PM

This was soooo hard! I love getting all those little snacks on the airplane. This last trip to Oregon Joe and I packed food for both legs of the trip. I did get coffee (in a paper cup) but I skipped the milk since it was in those little plastic creamer things. On the bright side, our snacks were way tastier than what the airline was offering, and all the airports had water refill stations in the terminals.

Read More
- J. Elizabeth Clark 7/16/2019 5:47 AM
  
  Same. It was a hard decision to make. I also love the "snack" moment on the plane. But, in the end, my snacks were way better than the crappy Cheese Its Delta was offering. So, that was good! I also appreciated all of the water refill stations, which I was very attentive to!
  
  Read More
Liv Dillon 7/15/2019 4:25 PM

Joe and I just ordered toilet paper from "Who Gives a Crap"... a plastic free toilet paper that gives 50% of its profits to charity! They also make their toilet paper from recycled papers from schools and offices. The box of 48 is the exact same price of the old toilet paper we ordered (Marcal... also recycled paper, but their 48 roll 'box' we ordered a while ago came in a giant plastic box ala Amazon). I'll let you know how it goes, or if you want to take the plunge... here is a $10 coupon! https://www.talkable.com/x/bmcAtl

Read More
- Liv Dillon 7/21/2019 9:56 AM
  
  Hi! I hope you se this.... I have no idea : (
  
  The last time I ordered 48 rolls it lasted us 4 months, so I think delivery is OK. Really, delivery (in my mind anyway) is the most efficient because they organize deliveries into the fewest possible spots in the closes possible proximity (for profit). But I don't know. That being said I was super happy to avoid the giant plastic bag that came with Marcal, and I keep looking while I'm out an about for a non-plastic, but also recycled paper version in the stores I frequent near my house. : )
  
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- J. Elizabeth Clark 7/16/2019 5:48 AM
  
  Serious question: so, now that I am living in the burbs, I have a choice: do something like this and have it delivered OR go to the store and just buy something recycled. What do you think the overall impact is, driving vs. delivery? (provided I can actually get toilet paper at the store that isn't encased in plastic?)
  
  Read More
Liv Dillon 7/14/2019 2:26 PM

I just bought 2 heads of lettuce, 1lb of cherries, 1lb of leeches, 8 peaches, yogurt, eggs, milk, chard, 4 dragon fruit, 1lb green beans. Normallybthat would have been about 8 plastic bags and 3 plastic containers! I did it all and only have these annoying little plastic “safety” seals! : )

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- Liv Dillon 7/21/2019 9:53 AM
  
  Hi! I hope I'm doing this right, I can figure out how to respond to your responses. The yogurt comes in a glass container. We live in Brooklyn so I feel a little less bad about the "shipping cost" of gas, but I really have no idea how to quantify that. The yogurt is made in upstate NY. I talked to a friend about making Yogurt, and he says it is super easy, but requires you start with a yogurt you like and buy milk (which is also in a glass shipping container) so in the end I don't think much would change. The other option, would be the MOST beneficial to the environment would be to reduce my dairy consumption. I think it's important to do the best we can, get used to changes in lifestyle and then keep trying to do a little bit better. : )
  
  Read More
- J. Elizabeth Clark 7/16/2019 5:49 AM
  
  What did the yogurt come in?
  
  Read More
Liv Dillon 7/02/2019 2:48 PM

I ordered the "frizzy hair" shampoo from ethique and I don't love it, but I think that is because I do not have frizzy hair, it was just the only one without dyes. Luckily a friend of mine gave me a "LUSH" shampoo in bar form when I was travelling and that one is amazing!

Read More
Liv Dillon 7/02/2019 2:46 PM

For anyone interested in trying this... I was very reluctant. I used the 'Keeper' back in the early 2000s for a few months and hated it. I just got the Blossom cup, and I love it. It is a HUGE improvement on pads and tampons. You don't need to change it as often, and I had no leaks at all. Sorry for anyone who feels this is TMI. : )

I found this great link that helps you decide which brand is best for you:
https://putacupinit.com/quiz/
: )

Read More
Liv Dillon 7/02/2019 2:42 PM

Mother's Vault Natural Toothbrush is pretty great! I think the bristles might still be plastic (it says BPA free bristles) but the toothbrush itself is bamboo. Very firm and comes with no plastic packaging!

Read More
- J. Elizabeth Clark 7/03/2019 6:01 PM
  
  I switched the entire family to these at Christmas: our household, my parents', and my sister's. Everyone seems to like them. I am really happy with them! I'm glad you like them!
  
  Read More
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?

Liv Dillon 7/02/2019 2:33 PM

This was an easy switch! I ordered bamboo toothbrushes and they are awesome, they are much "firmer" than the plastic brushes, but they seem to work great!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Dam the Flow

Disposable tampons and menstrual pads are often quite expensive. What are the economic and personal benefits of this switch for you?

Liv Dillon 6/28/2019 1:09 PM

I just ordered a menstrual cup and it was only $13 and you can use it forever! I found this handy quiz that suggests a brand that is best for you! https://putacupinit.com/quiz/ Enjoy!

Read More