Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Kat Lucas

Toronto Zoo - Working Plastic Free

"I pledge to continue living a low waste lifestyle!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,208 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

124

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

585

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

community events

hosted or attended
UP TO

93

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

310

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

2.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

13

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Kat's actions

Community

Host a House Party

I will host a house party with friends and/or colleagues to watch a movie or present a guest speaker on plastics.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Just Say No

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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

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

Personal Care

Back in the Bowl

I will purchase refillable beauty products.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Water Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

I will prepare 3 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Lather Up

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, and conditions with either a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 31
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 31
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

Pets

Pet Waste

I will spend 30 minutes learning how to compost pet waste at home or research pet waste composting services available in my area.

COMPLETED
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

Single use plastics have become normalized in our society to the point that most people don't see them as a problem. What would you say to a friend, colleague, or family member who may not understand why these disposables are an issue?

Kat Lucas 8/01/2019 6:19 AM

Even though PFJ is over it's still important to reduce our waste!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Lather Up

What are the economic and personal benefits of switching to bar soap/shampoo/conditioner or refillable bottle options?

Kat Lucas 7/31/2019 6:43 AM

I love my shampoo bar! I have used shampoo bar for several years and I will never go back. Last week I just switched to a conditioner bar from Lush and so far so good. Sometimes it takes a while for your hair to get used to new products (especially when the products have less chemicals than your old products). I am down to washing my hair twice a week and using my "naked" products which really reduces my yearly waste on shampoo and conditioner bottles

Read More
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?

Kat Lucas 7/31/2019 6:42 AM

I think doing an audit of all of your daily products would give you a good idea of how much waste you make. I realize that I have a lot of beauty products that at the end of their life will have to be recycled or thrown in the garbage. I want to challenge myself to buying less beauty products and just focus on the basics

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Pets Pet Waste

By composting your pet waste, you are turning waste into nutrients to feed the soil. In what other ways can you turn waste into a resource in your life?

Kat Lucas 7/31/2019 6:09 AM

I like the idea of turning my old clothes into something new. For years I have been donating my clothes when I am done with them but I have been hearing about some places either shipping off clothes internationally or putting them in landfill as there is more supply than demand.

Read More
Kat Lucas 7/31/2019 5:30 AM

Today is the last day of #PFJ! I know I will continue my commitments to living a low-waste lifestyle!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit

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

Kat Lucas 7/30/2019 5:34 AM

From my waste audit, I learned that I already do a lot to reduce my garbage waste. I think I can work towards reducing plastic packaging (even when it' recyclable). Recently I did a big haul of online shopping and each item in the package came individually wrapped in recyclable packaging. While the label says it's recyclable it's hard to know whether the city will actually recycle it or not

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Make Your Own

How do you feel about being more involved in the food preparation process? Joyful, overwhelmed, engaged, empowered? What are the benefits of choosing to process or produce your own food instead of buying it pre-processed?

Kat Lucas 7/30/2019 5:32 AM

I love making my own food, it's so easy and cost-effective. I like finding new recipes and sharing them with friends

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

Do an inventory of your kitchen to see how many single-use plastics you've used in the past. What are some resuable alternatives to these commonly used products? What would your impact be if you switched all the single-use products from your inventory to reusable?

Kat Lucas 7/30/2019 5:31 AM

My weekly purchases that come with the most packaging are my soy milk and yogurt tubs. I buy the large tubs of yogurt instead of the individual cups to reduce waste and I try to reuse the large tubs for leftovers or trips to Bulk Barn.

Read More
Kat Lucas 7/30/2019 5:29 AM

Just one day left of PFJ!!!!

Read More
Kat Lucas 7/29/2019 7:56 AM

Just a couple more days left to reach all your #PlasticFreeJuly goals!

Read More