Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2019

July 1 - July 31, 2019

Jacqui McGrath

ACHS

"We must become the change we want to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,149 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

110

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

130

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

22

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

52

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

22

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill

Jacqui's 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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Just Say No

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

COMPLETED 27
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

Family

Provide the Alternatives

I will provide daily plastic free alternatives (straws, water bottles, cuttlery, bar soap, bamboo toothbrushes, etc.) for my family to use.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Thoughtful Toys

I will only buy cloth, wooden or plant-based natural rubber toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Homemade Cleaners

I will make my own cleaning products at home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Share My Actions

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

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

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

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?

Jacqui McGrath 7/31/2019 3:15 AM

The cleaning supplies party went great - we made a general cleaner, a citrus cleaner, laundry detergent, and dish soap... and we had a lot of laughs. Thanks #PlasticFreeEcochallenge and ACHS for inspiring me to host these get-togethers. I'm not done, next we're going to make flower essences!
he

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- Jacqui McGrath 7/31/2019 3:18 AM
  
  among the recipes we tried:
  
  LIMPIADOR GENERAL (pisos y mesadas) 9 partes de agua y 1 de vinagre + 1 gota de aceite esencial por cada litro
  
  Para los pisos le estoy poniendo limon y citronella y realmente es eficaz además para mosquitos y animales rastreros
  
  Para el de mesadas o multiusos le pongo tea tree y 1/4 de cucharada de bicarbonato (queda tipo removedor de grasa + antibactericida
  
  Para el hinodoro: cambio dilusion: 7 partes de agua en 3 de vinagre + 2 cucharadas de bicarbonato + A.C. de tea tree y zacate limon (que huelen increible juntos ya que la nota alta del tea tree hace perdurar el aroma del limón )
  
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Jacqui McGrath 7/28/2019 10:44 AM

This month has been so inspiring! Here's the blog of a woman that did the plastic free ecochallenge in 2012 who has gone on to be a zero waste crusader with tons of great ideas and recipes: https://treadingmyownpath.com/plastic-free/

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Homemade Cleaners

What did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?

Jacqui McGrath 7/27/2019 5:35 AM

I've invited friends over to make cleaning products together on July 30th, committed to 'squeezing it in' before the month ends! For me, a big difference between buying and making one's own products is the time factor. I'm already sold on the idea of avoid single use plastics and creating non-toxic alternatives, the biggest challenge for me is actually carving out time to JUST DO IT! Ironically, the actual time spent on making cleaning products and personal care products and canning vegetable ends up being so much fun.

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- Jacqui McGrath 7/28/2019 10:45 AM
  
  One recipe I've seen calls for citrus peels. I don't have a big supply but will try to gather some before July 30th. Does anyone else have favorite recipes to share?
  
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Jacqui McGrath 7/24/2019 6:24 AM

I wish it weren't so hard to find water without wasting plastic! I'm on holiday in the Cancun area and just [shamefully] bought bottled water. I've avoided buying PET bottles for days, but couldn't stretch it any further. I'd love to see refill stations here!!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Containers

How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

Jacqui McGrath 7/24/2019 6:22 AM

I've used and re-used plastic bags and PET bottles til they practically disintegrate for years now. One of my kitchen 'staples' has been a bag drying rack , which is great, but I'm really committed now to break my bag buying habit. I'm grateful for the alternatives I've been learning about this month. Please share you favorite bag alternatives with me here in the comments!

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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?

Jacqui McGrath 7/19/2019 6:55 AM

I've always avoided aluminum containing antiperspirants thanks to my mom who was a holistic nurse. It wasn't til recently that I decided I needed to quit buying deodorants in single use plastic altogether. Considering that I considered myself an "environmentalist" since the early 1990s, I'm a bit ashamed at just how long it's taken me to appreciate how un-normal it is to be a normal USA consumer.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Just Say No

Do some research on polystyrene and polyvinyl. How many items in your house already contain these toxins?

Jacqui McGrath 7/19/2019 6:49 AM

Polystyrene is an unfamiliar term for me, but it turns out that it's a material that's everywhere. I'm so sad that our species invented and normalized the widespread use of toxic stuff like this. yikes. On the bright side, according to wikipedia, "In 2015, researchers discovered that mealworms, the larvae form of the darkling beetle Tenebrio molitor, could digest and subsist healthily on a diet of EPS.[21][22]About 100 mealworms could consume between 34 and 39 milligrams of this white foam in a day. The droppings of mealworm were found to be safe for use as soil for crops.[21] Superworms (Zophobas morio) are also reported to eat EPS.[23]

Other types of insect larvae including Soldier Fly are able to digest several different persistent plastics for energy and structural mass.[citation needed]

Pseudomonas putida is capable of converting styrene oil into the biodegradable plastic PHA.[24][25][26] This may someday be of use in the effective disposing of polystyrene foam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene
21. Jordan, R. (29 September 2015). "Plastic-eating worms may offer solution to mounting waste, Stanford researchers discover". Stanford News Service. Stanford University. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
22.^ Yang Y, Yang J, Wu WM, Zhao J, Song Y, Gao L, Yang R, Jiang L (October 2015). "Biodegradation and Mineralization of Polystyrene by Plastic-Eating Mealworms: Part 1. Chemical and Physical Characterization and Isotopic Tests". Environmental Science & Technology. 49 (20): 12080–6. doi:10.1021/acs.est.5b02661. PMID 26390034.
23.^ "Think you can't compost styrofoam? Mealworms are the answer!". Blog. Living Earth Systems. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
24.^ Roy, Robert (7 March 2006). "Immortal Polystyrene Foam Meets its Enemy". LiveScience. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
25.^ Ward PG, Goff M, Donner M, Kaminsky W, O'Connor KE (April 2006). "A two step chemo-biotechnological conversion of polystyrene to a biodegradable thermoplastic". Environmental Science & Technology. 40 (7): 2433–7. doi:10.1021/es0517668. PMID 16649270.
26.^ Biello, David (27 February 2006). "Bacteria Turn Styrofoam into Biodegradable Plastic". Scientific American.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

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

Jacqui McGrath 7/19/2019 6:41 AM

I'm starting to notice the trash trends around my town. Yesterday I was thinking how it'd be nice to organize a neighborhood cleanup on a street not to far from where I live. I feel sad for the kids who live there and would like to help them make the place where they walk and play look better.

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Jacqui McGrath 7/17/2019 6:57 AM

I shared my veggie pickling party info, including recipes in Spanish...here: https://www.facebook.com/omjacqui ACHS teammates, post your news on social media with the hashtag #PlasticFreeEcoChallengein the next couple days to enter the following Giveaway...

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- Jacqui McGrath 7/17/2019 6:58 AM
  Giveaway rules [this is sponsored by the Ecochallenge organizers, not ACHS btw]:
  - Each post you share equals one entry.
  - We will include any posts that have already been shared prior to this email to be fair :)
  - We'll pick a winner next Friday, July 19th, 9am PDT.
  Giveaway purpose:
  We know that people thrive when we are seen and supported. The more we share that we're all in this together, working towards a plastic-free world through our individual actions, the more we feel invigorated to keep on going.
  
  Giveaway contents:
  - 1 Kleen Kanteen tea mug
  - 4 Greens Steel stainless steel straws
  - 1 Beeswrap
  - 1 Fill It Forward sticker
  Read More
Jacqui McGrath 7/17/2019 6:38 AM

My veggie pickling party was a wild success. We swapped recipes and chopped veggies together and sterilized glass jars ....everyone went home with a little of each other's canned goods. I've been wanting to do this for years, feel so thankful that the Ecochallenge inspired me to finally DO it! Next I'm invited this crew back so we can make our own cleaning products together :)

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