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Naomi Elkins's avatar

Naomi Elkins

Maryland Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 620 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    75
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    130
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    90
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    160
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    7.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Naomi'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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Glass Bottle Baby

I will replace 10 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

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 10 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 13
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

Start Composting

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Water Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 13
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

Lifestyle

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary film about waste with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

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

Personal Care

Back in the Bowl

I will purchase refillable beauty products.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 20 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 8
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?


  • Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/31/2019 2:08 PM
    Today is the last day of Plastic Free July! This month has been so much fun. I'm so glad so many other people participated in this challenge. I would like to thank the Maryland Zoo for letting me participate in the event. Thanks!!!

  • Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/29/2019 1:59 PM
    I'm so sad that Plastic Free July is almost over. It's sad people would only care for a month and then go back and start to pollute the earth. What we really need is a Plastic Free Year. I hope you all feel the same way.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Use Reusable Containers
    How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

    Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/26/2019 6:21 AM
    You can take disposable bags or straws and change their use. For example some people take plastic straws and turn them into art. That is only one example of the millions of ways we can think outside of the box with our trash. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care Back in the Bowl
    Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?

    Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/24/2019 5:58 PM
    A lot of times people don't think about what their purchases and trash can do to the plane, because they cannot see the bigger picture. This action has helped me focus on the future rather than worry about convenience now. It has also put in perspective how much reusing can help our planet.

  • Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/22/2019 5:56 PM
    My Zoo Crew started today and was amazing. I encourage everyone to stop by the zoo or check out their various conservation efforts to see what you can do in your community. It doesn't matter how old you are everyone can make a difference.

  • Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/13/2019 5:47 AM
    This Plastic Free July has benefited my overall health as well. It has encouraged me to promote the vegetarian lifestyle. I am about to go to a very conservative camp where I might get a lot of funny looks, but having all of these teammates who will support me has given me more confidence in my decision.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Travel Smart
    How can/did you prepare to be successful in this action? Did you engage in conversation with anyone about your new habit?

    Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/13/2019 5:40 AM
    I brought my own straws and a metal water bottle. People didn't really ask, because they had done the same thing as well. I saw a lot of paper straws at restaurants, but I still used my own straw. People did not really ask, because the all seemed very environmentally aware  themselves.    

  • Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/10/2019 10:29 AM
    These challenges has been very eye opening. They have helped me see how much we need to speak up for our environment. I have been skipping the straw for a long time, but then I started to tell other people about it and that's when I started to see change. My friends actually took me serious and bought herself some metal straws, because she said I was very confident in what I was talking about. All in all I'm very glad Plastic Free July is a thing, and I'm glad I get to participate in it.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Skip the Straw
    Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.

    Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/10/2019 10:19 AM
    I do see some change in my community. One example is I have seen more people with metal straws or no straws at all. That is a good sign that things are changing for the better.

    • jill morrison's avatar
      jill morrison 7/10/2019 11:38 AM
      I ate a local pizza shop today and was so glad I didn't have to intercept the wait staff to not bring straws (especially for the kids). Next step is to get them to bring the kids a drink in a reusable cup.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Pets Invest in a Pooper-Scooper
    How are caring for your pet and caring for the environment connected for you?

    Naomi Elkins's avatar
    Naomi Elkins 7/10/2019 10:16 AM
    When I care for my pet I care for the environment, because they help each other out. One way, is the environment provides my pet with clean oxygen for it to breath. Second, the environment provides my pet with grains as well as other things in it's diet.