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Mary Ellsworth's avatar

Mary Ellsworth

ZooTampa Staff & Volunteers

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,660 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    95
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    24
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    62
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

Mary's 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

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 2 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Fresh as a Daisy

I will use deodorant either from a bar or a jar or I will make my own.

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

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Share My Actions

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

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 Eating

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal

I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Estimate Your Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral

I will visit rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

All Natural Pet Toys

I will give my pets natural alternatives to toys like femur bones and antlers, canvas, natural rubber, hemp, rope or cotton toys. Or I will make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 29
DAILY 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

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Back in the Bowl

I will purchase refillable beauty products.

UNCOMPLETED
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?


  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/31/2019 5:55 PM
    Another incredible Plastic Free EcoChallenge in the books. Great Job ZooTampa Team! 
  • 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?

    Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/31/2019 5:46 PM
    People are very "out of sight out of mind" that is why participating in this challenge is so beneficial. It brings our consumption habits to the forefront of our minds. After several weeks of participating I am hyper aware of little things, like which restaurants use ceramic or metal sauce containers and which have single-use plastic containers.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Pets Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal
    We know you want to - tell us about why your pet is so awesome!

    Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/30/2019 6:52 PM
    My cat is fabulous and loves snuggling and playing with her toys. She is super fluffy and using a rubber glove to remove pet hair from my furniture has been pretty effective. 

  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/30/2019 5:56 PM
    Participating in this event encourages me to reevaluate and be more thoughtful of the impact my daily purchases and decisions have on our planet. My favorite part of the challenge is that it provides an opportunity for us to build a sustainably-minded community where we can exchange ideas and be inspired by each other. 

  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/29/2019 11:38 AM
    Looking for a way to challenge yourself during the 2.5 days left in 2019's Plastic Free EcoChallenge? Pick another one-time challenge or complete a one-time challenge you have outstanding. Go Team!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Estimate Your Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral
    What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?

    Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/29/2019 6:24 AM
    I found the plastic consumption calculator provided interesting insights into my plastic consumption habits. I appreciated how the questions asked challenged me to think about all the areas of my life where I am reliant on plastic not just single-use straws. My results were about what I expected, and there is definitely room for improvement.


  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/28/2019 6:14 PM
    Only three days left of the EcoChallenge!

  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/27/2019 11:15 AM
    Brought a large reusable tote for shopping and avoided two plastic bags at retail stores. Accepted one large paper bag for my cat to play with. I plan to recycle it after she is done.

  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/26/2019 12:34 PM
    Last Weekend of Plastic Free EcoChallenge: Keep up the strong effort and remember to complete your one-time challenges!

  • Mary Ellsworth's avatar
    Mary Ellsworth 7/25/2019 3:08 PM
    Purchased 1lb of pulled pork BBQ to-go from the Holy Hog Barbecue in Carrollwood (Tampa, FL) using my reusable container. When I placed my order at the counter, I asked the staff member if she could use my container and she said "No problem."  By using my own bag and container, I also avoided the plastic silverware and other single-use items that often get added into the bag with a to-go order automatically. Success!