Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2022

July 1 - July 31, 2022

Brittany Alvarez

Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden

"“I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.” — Jana Stanfield"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,239 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

2.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

96

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

102

pieces of litter

picked up

Brittany's actions

Food

Cook a Plastic Free Meal

I will prepare meals at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

That Was a Close Shave

I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Sustainable Suds

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Pearly Whites

I will switch to a plastic-free toothpaste — whether purchased or DIY'd.

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

Personal Care

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Clean Plate Club

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Lifestyle

Ditch Dryer Sheets

I will use wool dryer balls or another plastic-free alternative to dryer sheets to keep my clothes static-free.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Give Some Green Gratitude

I will give a shout-out on social media to a local company, coworker, friend or family member for their plastic free or green efforts.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Host a Watch Party

I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.

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
Lifestyle

What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?
Brittany Alvarez 7/29/2022 6:56 PM
Most of my waste is in the kitchen. A lot of plastic bottles from various condiments in my fridge, plus a bunch of processed foods, like tofu, different snacks, or meat alternatives that are all packaged in plastic. I could probably look into bulk/canned options for proteins, like legumes, rather than processed foods that come in plastic.

Read More
- Ronni Hatcher 7/31/2022 7:15 AM
  Or make tofu yourself once in awhile is another option. Its not hard really. I buy dry bulk soy beans from the bulk food section in a jar and tofu is so much better fresh!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

As you have reduced your spending, what have you noticed about your 'health and safety' purchasing habits? How might this change your longer term purchasing decisions?
Brittany Alvarez 7/29/2022 6:35 PM
I noticed I don’t require much to maintain a healthy, safe life. Most of my purchases are food, personal care items, and household cleaning products. There are times when I see something cute and have the urge to buy it, but when I think about the item’s life cycle (where will it go/do I have space for it, how often will I use it, etc.), I realize many things aren’t necessary and decide against it. I’d rather spend my money on necessities and experiences, like trips or concerts, rather than “things” that’ll sit somewhere in my house collecting dust.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

Often, single-use and disposable products don't just create more trash - they also contain toxins that are bad for humans. What are some other single-use items that are harmful to humans?
Brittany Alvarez 7/29/2022 6:13 PM
A couple examples of items that may be harmful include packaging for processed foods, to-go containers, and personal care products that contain fragrances or phthalates. https://www.nytimes.com/article/plastics-to-avoid.html

Read More
Brittany Alvarez 7/29/2022 5:52 PM
Sign at Lowe’s to skip the bag! 👍🏼

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Brittany Alvarez 7/28/2022 7:49 PM
It seems like most of the single use plastic used for packaging is for processed foods, such as various snack items and frozen foods. Though the more I think about it, there’s a lot of plastic packaging in the produce section too, for things like salads, precut fruit, and smaller fruits, such as berries, etc.

Read More
Brittany Alvarez 7/28/2022 7:37 PM
Sprouts Farmers Market will give you a tiny discount for each reusable bag you bring for your groceries. 👍🏼 (If the cashier remembers to apply it 🤪)

Read More
- Ronni Hatcher 7/29/2022 5:11 PM
  Every bit of savings helps! Thanks I did not know this.
  
  Read More
Brittany Alvarez 7/27/2022 5:39 AM
Shop locally and sustainably at Plenty Mercantile! They have two locations: Automobile Alley in OKC and Spring Creek Plaza in Edmond. They have refill stations for common household cleaning supplies, such as all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent, and more!

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Brittany Alvarez 7/24/2022 6:56 PM
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Brittany Alvarez 7/24/2022 11:13 AM
Cool article about Dallas Zoo partnering with The RightCycle program to recycle disposable PPE, like gloves, and turn them into new items. Maybe our zoo could look into this in the future! https://www.kcprofessional.com/en-us/workplace-insights/productivity-and-efficiency/rightcycle-dallas-zoo-recycle-disposable-gloves

Read More
- Ronni Hatcher 7/24/2022 11:41 AM
  That's great! I especially like how it involves others in a community efforts not just the zoo and also you get to see the nearly whole cycle of the gloves transformation and then its shared with everyone. Who doesn't like a transformation especially seeing the start and "end" side of it. Isn't that why we watch before and after videos of various things and topics. I am currently watching house renovation using used materials. Those transformations are 👍 top notch. Love this encouraging article! Keep up the encouragement ppl👏
  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
  1 Thessalonians 5:11
  - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
    Hebrews 10:24-25
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Brittany Alvarez 7/21/2022 8:06 PM
I feel like living across the street from multiple fast food restaurants has given me a better idea of how much plastic/styrofoam waste they produce, since a lot of it ends up in my yard. 🥲

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