Cristal Guzman

Let's remember that plastic is a byproduct of natural gas processing and oil refineries in case anyone ever asks you how closely linked plastic is to climate change. Also, plastic didn't really start to be widely used until the late 1950's/early 1960's, so if anyone ever asks you what we did with all of our plastics before, it just hasn't been that long. In less than a century, the mass production of plastic has done SO much damage to this planet.

When I order takeout, I always request no bag and no utensils, and I order from places who use non-plastic/non-styrofoam containers. However, I feel like it's pretty counter-intuitive to order takeout over the phone then go to the place with your own containers for them to use if the whole point of some takeout ventures is to order ahead and then just swing by to grab it. I gladly bring my own vessels for leftovers when I dine in, but I can't imagine the swing-by trip for takeout working with my own containers. Has anyone done this? Does anyone know of any restaurants that encourage this?

Got my volunteer hours done this month volunteering for multiple local land conservancies/preserves. I have volunteered with these places regularly for the past 7 years, and I really wish they had more patronage and participants when they hold volunteer days. Having worked as a naturalist for a local land conservancy before my position at the aquarium, I can tell you that you 100% do not need to wait for an open volunteering event to become a volunteer. They need volunteers all the time in every capacity. Don't be shy, and give it a try (links!): https://bolsachica.org/get-involved-2/volunteer/ --- https://lcwlandtrust.org/get-involved/ ---http://www.coloradolagoon.org/ ---   https://pvplc.org/_volunteer/index.asp --- http://www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com/volunteer.shtml --- https://www.gardenawillows.org/ --- https://www.ballonafriends.org/volunteer --- please comment with any more nearby if I've left any out!

No matter where I go, I easily meet my daily trash pick-up quota (5 pieces) in under 5 minutes...such.a.bummer.

Lifestyle-change pledges are becoming easier: 1. Buy foods with no plastic packaging, 2. Buy from bulk bins as much as possible using only reusable cotton bags, 3. Only buy food in glass or metal containers with the intent on reusing the containers. SELFISH PRO: my groceries were much less expensive! SELFISH CON: my groceries were much heavier!

***The Plastic-free July station is in the Great Hall underneath the whale tail!

If you haven't checked out the Plastic-free July station in the aquarium yet, please go by! It's there every day from 9am to 4:30pm this month, and it's run by our wonderful VolunTEENS. Come watch youth in action educating people and getting them to sign up for the challenge!

A friend of mine who has a one-year-old and was at one point the hardest core, zero-waster I knew says all that went out the window when she had her baby. Suddenly she was grabbing all the pre-packaged stuff she could for lunch at work to save time, and she was buying lots of cheap plastic toys online to distract the baby from crying. She said anything that came cheaply and conveniently was either wrapped in plastic or made of plastic, and that she is just so tired that she had to give in. I don't have a child, but I 100% understand craving any sort of convenience when you're so busy and so exhausted. What can we, or, more so, what can companies do provide people with convenient AND inexpensive plastic-free options?

Has anyone ever done a waste journal? I did one about a year ago for one month, and even though I felt I was already very waste-conscious, I was still throwing out way more than I had realizes. I'm very proud to say that I did a plastic inventory last night in my kitchen, and I found zero single-use plastics, and the plastic I do have mainly provides the lids to my glass jars. Yay! I realize this is a fleeting victory, so I'm staying on my toes!

I think it's important to acknowledge the link between socio-economics and plastic use. Low-income households rely on single-use plastics the most (ex: very low water quality/questionable plumbing leads them to buy least expensive bottled water--personal experience, pre-packaged food is much more convenient if you are working multiple jobs, glass and steel vessels are more expensive, plastic is much lighter if you have to ride your bike to work). Speaking of riding bikes, it's also important not to place blame on those who don't have the option to afford plastic alternatives especially when these are the same people who have been riding bikes and taking the bus because gas/cars are expensive and, in turn, lessening our carbon emissions. I believe our individual actions are important and we should be critical of our wastefulness, but more pressure needs to be put on companies to refuse or at least lessen the use and manufacturing of plastics because that's what is at the heart of this issue.