Post to our Team APE feed about an item that you "upcycled" or "creatively reused" and thereby avoided consuming plastic associated with buying a new item and having that item sent to you/your area!
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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 14
DAILY 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 8
DAILY ACTIONS
Family
Discover Together
I will spend 60 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.
UNCOMPLETED
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
Sustainable Suds
I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with a sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable option.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Learn about Plastic Production
Plastic production, not just disposal, pollutes communities and harms people. I will learn about the impacts of plastic production on humans, animals, communities, and the environment.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Use Reusable Utensils
I will keep 7 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.
COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS
Community
Research Local Waste Sites
I will spend 30 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
Food
Skip Plastic Bags
When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.
COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS
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.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Become a Recycling Pro
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 15 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Family
Plastic Free Lunch Boxes
I will only pack reusable cutlery, drinkware and tupperware-like containers in my children's lunches to reduce plastic waste.
COMPLETED 15
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?
Hello all, If you haven't already checked out the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, I highly suggest it. I'd like to bring attention to the Zoo's EJ Reports. https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/
What did you learn about how plastic production impacts humans, animals, communities, and the environment? Which of these impacts specifically affects your community?
L.A. County creates about 28 million tons of solid waste each year, with the majority headed to our already taxed landfills. That’s enough trash to fill the Rose Bowl week in and week out for the entire year.
Nearly 1 in 5 pieces of trash nationwide is a single-use plastic item.
Less than 10% of all single-use plastics is recycled. That means tons of non-degradable plastics will hog our landfills for millennia and blight L.A. neighborhoods and oceans.
I learned that plastic bags and plastic cutlery were some of deadliest threats to ocean life as they are mistaken for food (birds, turtles, and marine mammals.) The ocean conservancy had some great resources for Californians as a coastal state.
I realized that I wasn't thinking about all the items I purchase that ultimately make up my plastic consumption. I know I can do better, and what's scary is that my plastic consumption is 25.96% lower than the average American. There could be more plastic in the ocean than fish by August 2040 and the rate I consume plastic accelerates the timeline of this by 33.32 %. Shock Factor.
I prefer to repurpose items that require plastic or glass container packaging as opposed to purchasing new plastic or silicone reusable items. If I have to purchase reusable items I try to choose materials that are eco-friendly (hemp, beeswax, bamboo, recycled metal, glass, etc.)
Most of us know that the "3 R's" are reduce, reuse, recycle. Recycling is most heavily emphasized in modern Western culture. How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?
We have reusable containers for lunch, water bottles, and coffee containers. We also repurpose food containers (cottage cheese, or sour cream, glass jars, etc. ) and I prefer to do this to minimize some of the plastic consumerism and monetary value that exists around reusable items.
What have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
I learned that there are some places within 20-30 miles of my home that accept recycling. There are limited areas for recycling or disposing of items such as electronic waste, and hazardous waste. I have a recycling container at home so I can easily recycle items -- but the most challenging thing perhaps is making sure I am only collecting items that can be accepted.
