Skip to main content
Karl Horak's avatar

Karl Horak

ABQ BioPark

"To a plastic-free July and beyond!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 788 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    25
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    16
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    25
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    18
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill

Karl's actions

Food

Use a Reusable Mug / Collapsible Cup

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own collapsible cup.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden in my home, workplace, or community garden

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

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 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

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?


  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/31/2019 1:47 AM
    Screwed up by washing my reusable metal straw and forgetting to put it in the car. 

  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/30/2019 7:23 AM
    Had trouble logging on yesterday.  Anyone else have trouble?

  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/28/2019 1:43 AM
    Just now went back in and answered the reflection questions for the one-time challenges.  
  • 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?

    Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/28/2019 1:42 AM
    I actually can't remember what the "Travel Smart" one-time challenge was about and now I can't find a description of what I did on my trip at the beginning of the month to complete it.  So here's a pic of a protected sea turtle nest on the Outer Banks of NC.  
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Travel Eating
    Was this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?

    Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/28/2019 1:34 AM
    Packing your own travel food is not only sensible for cutting down on plastic, it saves you a ton of $$$ on lousy airport food. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Travel Toiletries
    What is the benefit of using bar soaps or refilling your travel sized containers? Is this an action you think you will keep in your life?

    Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/28/2019 1:33 AM
    TSA limits to 3 oz of any fluid mean that this is a no-brainer.  Unless you want to depend on whatever the hotel provides, you need to use your own small containers.  

  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/25/2019 8:12 AM
    Six more days.  Feelin' the burn...

  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/23/2019 3:48 AM
    Earlier I posted a photo of one of the caterpillars on my fennel, just 'cuz it was a neat beast.  I realize that I didn't finish the story, even though it has nothing to do with plastic and everything to do with protecting pollinators.  Here's the result after I kept one chrysalis for two weeks:  it hatched out earlier this week.

  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/22/2019 1:21 AM
    Seems like I always remember to check in _after_ midnight and miss a day's credit. 

  • Karl Horak's avatar
    Karl Horak 7/18/2019 7:44 PM
    Another day, another reusable straw.  Odd how bamboo straws cause carbonated beverages to bubble out the top.