Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Mackenzie Goode

Life Unplastic Gainesville

"Using my love of the Earth to self-motivate towards a reduced waste lifestyle!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
654 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

220

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

45

petitions

signed
UP TO

60

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

3.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Mackenzie's actions

Community

Sign a Petition

I will sign a petition in support of a plastic-related initiative in my state/province.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Share My Actions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

That Was a Close Shave

I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors. Why not try using hair conditioner instead of shaving foam for that baby smooth feel?

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

Food

Start Composting

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Pet Waste

I will spend 90 minutes learning how to compost pet waste at home or research pet waste composting services available in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Takeout Pro

I will use my own containers when ordering takeout.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make Your Own

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 2
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

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

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 3 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 20
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?

Mackenzie Goode 7/31/2019 6:14 PM

We're at the end of PFJ, and I feel accomplished yet dissatisfied. I think---I KNOW---I could have done more during this month to be proactive. But, alas, it's a work in progress, and I look forward to keeping up my challenges, even when doing so doesn't earn points.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care That Was a Close Shave

What have you noticed about the economic and social impact of switching to steel razors? Was there ever really a need for disposable razors, or do you think it was just a way to sell more things?

Mackenzie Goode 7/31/2019 6:12 PM

Steel razors save so much money and so much unnecessary plastic waste! When I think of all the razors that I've purchased in my lifetime, I've easily spent $1,000+ on them. Alarming, right? But, that's the norm! It's what everyone does! NO. It doesn't have to be the norm and it shouldn't be what everyone does. Consumerism is so ingrained in our day to day lives that most wouldn't think twice about switching to a more common-sense solution for hair removal. It's an easy switch with a big impact.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Fresh as a Daisy

Do some research on the toxic side affects of aluminum deodorant. After reading the side effects, can you think of instances where you may have experienced the side effects from this form of deodorant?

Mackenzie Goode 7/31/2019 6:09 PM

I've definitely experienced rashes before. But, beyond that, it would be difficult to pinpoint the exact side effects from aluminum deodorant. There are a lot of great scientific articles which point to myths about aluminum deodorant, and many that suggest we simply don't know enough. I personally dislike using aluminum deodorant because the ingredients included are often not necessary, and I find local products more attractive. Regardless of your stance on the ingredients, it is true that your average deodorant comes in packaging that cannot be recycled or reused. For that reason alone, it's worth switching to an alternative.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit

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

Mackenzie Goode 7/30/2019 5:10 AM

A huge portion of the waste my household creates on a day to day basis is from single use plastics which contain food items from the grocery store. Another big area of waste for us is pet-related. It would be dofficult to reduce the amount of waste created by the cats as it’s not safe to flush or compost cat feces (as opposed to bagging in plastic). On the other hand, we could come up with alternative solutions for our dog waste. Because we rent and don’t own, this makes things tricky. If anyone has any thoughts, feel free to comment.

I have read alarming facts about the true nature of waste degradation at the landfill. Putting dog waste in biodegradable bags sounds sexy, but the reality is it may never degrade in the landfill because of the lack of oxygen there. If I could save it from ever reaching the landfill, that would be great. Composting is likely not an option either while we’re in an apartment...

Read More
- Mackenzie Goode 7/31/2019 6:16 PM
  
  Joy, do you know if Beaten Path Compost accepts dog waste in compostable bags? I do send my food waste to them. Thanks for the article!
  
  Read More
- Life Unplastic 7/30/2019 8:02 AM
  
  Pet waste is a tough one, for sure!! We have poop bags in the store that are certified compostable and can be thrown in with your garbage. I also liked this article I found when researching the plastic bags:
  
  https://www.rover.com/blog/truth-about-biodegradable-poop-bags-in/
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Start Composting

Do an inventory of how much food waste you would save from going to the landfill if you start composting all of the time. What are the added benefits of having compost that is readily accessible?

Mackenzie Goode 7/21/2019 3:34 PM

I never realized just how much food waste goes to the landfill on a regular basis before I started composting. A local compost service, Beaten Path Compost, provides a bin to fill and empty into their communal compost bins. The bin was a quarter of the way full in just a handful of days (which is shocking enough to seriously consider how much food we buy in the future, and how we need to be careful to eat all that we buy/cook). Now that we are a part of Beaten Path's cooperative, we can use the black compost whenever we need to freshen up our garden soil. There is a loop closing in a beautiful way by turning our uneaten or rotten food into food for our plants, which then in turn feed us some more!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Share My Actions

In what ways is social media an effective tool for sharing your values?

Mackenzie Goode 7/21/2019 3:31 PM

Friends see how easy (or challenging) it can be to reduce waste in our day-to-day lives, and also how exciting it can be to see positive impacts as a result of small lifestyle changes. In a time when instant gratification is highly sought after, sharing your environmentally-friendly actions on social media reminds friends that doing good for the environment feels good for your self, almost immediately!

Read More
Mackenzie Goode 7/18/2019 3:27 AM

Ran into a frustrating challenge this week while trying to abide by my commitment to use my own take-out containers. Unfortunately, I visited a restaurant that refused to fill my personal bottle. I filed a formal complaint, outlining the harm of Styrofoam to our environment and my concerns that the establishments does not provide its customers flexibility. Hopefully, the issue is resolved. But, if it is not, I will no longer give that restaurant my business.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Watch a Documentary

Which documentary did you choose to watch? What did you learn?

Mackenzie Goode 7/16/2019 2:38 AM

I chose to watch ‘Just Eat It,’ a story of food waste in the West. As someone with an anthropology background, it was fascinating to learn about the sociocultural factors which drive food waste, especially at the household level. People actually report that they will buy more food than necessary to avoid appearing poor or food deficit. One of the main take-aways I got from this film is that there is a mindset change that needs to happen in order to correct this issue of food waste. When I go to a store or a market, I don’t need to find the most beautiful products. I just need the product that suits my cooking or dietary needs. And this is a mindset change that can easily be spread in my social circles.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Sign a Petition

What is a plastic-related issue in your state/province?

Mackenzie Goode 7/08/2019 2:59 AM

The use of plastic bags and Styrofoam is a huge issue in the State of Florida, where our beautiful beaches and marine ecosystems are heavily impacted by improper disposal of trash. We can eliminate the (most) risk of improper disposal by banning plastic bags and Styrofoam altogether.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

Mackenzie Goode 7/05/2019 11:57 PM

Picking up litter is such a simple task that I eventually pick up many more pieces of trash than is my goal. I fI feel that I’m both beautifying my community and contributing to its health.

Read More