Cynthia Duke

Kansas City Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
340 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

27

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

5.0

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

29

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Cynthia's actions

Personal Care

Sustainable Suds

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with a sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Travel Eating

If traveling, I will bring my own snacks and meals in my own containers to avoid the waste of take-out containers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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

Community

Estimate My Plastic Consumption

I will visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 3 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Choose Reusable Food Storage

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Skip Plastic Bags

When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 6
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care Sustainable Suds

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

Cynthia Duke 7/26/2022 7:53 AM

I have been using a laundry pre-spray for stains that is refillable and I can buy the refill bottle for much less cost per ounce than buying a new bottle with the sprayer. I have also used laundry sheets instead of packaged laundry detergent. I found they worked pretty well!

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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?

Cynthia Duke 7/26/2022 7:51 AM

I do appreciate having my own soap and shampoo and conditioner, even though the hotels provide them. I have somewhat sensitive skin, so when I bring my own products in re-usable containers, I don’t have to worry about the soap at the hotel causing my skin to break out.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Travel Eating

Was this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?

Cynthia Duke 7/26/2022 7:48 AM

Web ave only traveled by car since I started this challenge. This was fairly easy to do as we packed snacks in re-usable containers.

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Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:22 AM

I joined the challenge because I have a daughter who is very conscious of environmental things and I saw this challenge in my email from our local zoo! I selected challenges that are relevant to me and actions that relate to things I normally do.

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Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:20 AM

Going well! A lot of my cations have to do with shopping or some type of purchase. Since I haven’t been shopping for much except food lately, that has helped me stay closer to plastic-free this month!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Natural Fibers

What are the benefits (to people, animals, and the environment) of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers?

Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:18 AM

I think the benefits of using natural fibers when purchasing clothing is that the soothing tens to last longer, feels better against the skin, and helps with balancing the ecosystem. Doing this also helps keep plastics and mircroplastics out of our oceans and water ways and out of the environment in general

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Estimate My Plastic Consumption

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?

Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:15 AM

I discovered that my plastic usage is lower than the average for the USA, slightly lower than that of Europe, and MUCH lower than that for India. I was very surprised to see how high the plastic usage in India is.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Choose Reusable Food Storage

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

Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:13 AM

I have a set of glass containers that can be used to store food, refrigerated or frozen. Also, when I do use plastic food or freezer bags, I re-use them until they are literally not usable any more! I wash them and re-use many, many times.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use a Reusable Mug

Since the restrictions that COVID-19 has required of our society, trying to use your own cup might present new barriers, as well as new opportunities for creative problem solving. How were you able to achieve success on this action? How can you make it a long-term habit?

Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:12 AM

I don’t really carry any kind of mug or cup around with me unless I am traveling. We use regular china or pottery mugs for our morning coffee at home. When I do need to take a drink with me in the car, I put it in a travel mug that is re-usable.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Skip Plastic Bags

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

Cynthia Duke 7/10/2022 8:09 AM

This is a fairly easy one for me - I have lots of cloth grocery bags and keep them very handy so they are always available when I go to the store. I often take them when I go to shops other than the grocery store too, since most shops in my area put your purchases in some kind of plastic bag.

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