Connor Geelhoed

South Carolina Aquarium

"My goal is to not only limit my use of single use plastics, but to educate others as well in reducing theirs. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,186 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

advocacy actions

completed
UP TO

10

conversations

with people
UP TO

230

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

223

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

228

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Connor's actions

Community

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Proper Bioplastic Disposal

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Advocate for Plastic-Free Dining

I will talk to the owner or manager of a restaurant I frequent to request that they reduce their use of single-use and disposable plastics.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 6 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Advocate For Better Food Packaging

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend 90 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 5 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Discover Together

I will spend 20 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

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?

Connor Geelhoed 7/31/2022 8:30 AM

One more day everyone! I can’t believe how much great work we have all accomplished this month!

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Connor Geelhoed 7/30/2022 5:58 AM

Our ecochallenge is almost done. Keep up the great work! Finish strong!

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- Shelley Shrader 7/30/2022 7:08 AM
  
  Hey Connor! What have you change throughout this month that you'll continue to do after plastic free july is finished?
  
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Connor Geelhoed 7/22/2022 6:40 AM

Just a friendly reminder that the aquarium is doing a litter sweep Wednesday, August 3rd. It will start 9AM sharp. Would love to see some of you guys there!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Dig into Bioplastics

What did you learn about bioplastic production and disposal? Did anything surprise you? Are bioplastics accepted by your city's waste management?

Connor Geelhoed 7/18/2022 10:35 AM

I learned that bioplastics can be made out of a variety of different things! They can be produced from renewable biomass sources such as, vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc. I found this to be crazy that we can make things out of recycled food waste! Bioplastics are accepted and can be recycled, however many go into landfills regardless I found out through my research.

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Connor Geelhoed 7/18/2022 10:26 AM

Hope everybody is having a great day and working hard on this challenge!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Proper Bioplastic Disposal

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Connor Geelhoed 7/14/2022 3:17 PM

What concerns me the most about how we are affecting the planet is how many species are becoming extinct due to human activity. When one part of the food chain falls, no matter how big or small, it changes the course of other species’ survival as well.

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Connor Geelhoed 7/14/2022 3:12 PM

Hi everyone! I see tons of amazing work going on. Keep up the great work!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Advocate For Better Food Packaging

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?

Connor Geelhoed 7/10/2022 5:49 AM

A way that I could describe how disposables are an issue is by showing YouTube videos and telling facts about how they are affecting our environment.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Family Discover Together

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Connor Geelhoed 7/10/2022 5:47 AM

What concerns me the most about how we are affecting the planet is how it is not getting better. Locally and globally we aren’t doing enough to protect our natural resources and our wild places.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Minimize Packaging

With the added mindfulness of reducing your packaging, what have you noticed about the amount and type of single use plastics used for packaging when you shop in the grocery store?

Connor Geelhoed 7/09/2022 9:01 AM

After walking through my local Publix and seeing all of the plastic bags and single use plastics that they are using on a daily basis, it has led me to advocate for reusable baggies to store our groceries in.

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- Linda Rowe 7/09/2022 4:16 PM
  
  I agree! I just contacted my local Publix today about all the plastic-wrapped fruits & veggies. I think we should all advocate that our local grocery stores stop doing that. It's so unnecessary, and really hasn't been common practice for that long.
  
  Read More