Brent Charest

Zoo New England

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
669 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

8.0

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

26

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

27

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill

Brent's actions

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 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 10 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Go Strawless

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 1 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 25
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal

I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Pets

All Natural Pet Toys

I will give my pets natural alternatives to toys like femur bones and antlers, canvas, natural rubber, hemp, rope or cotton toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Thrifty Pets

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

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
Pets

How does buying used differ from buying new? How does each purchasing decision make you feel?
Brent Charest 7/31/2022 5:40 AM
I hate shopping in general, but at least when it's secondhand shopping, I can feel good knowing that I'm avoiding sending something into a landfill.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

Was this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?
Brent Charest 7/31/2022 5:39 AM
This one just required some planning, but after that was very easy to do. Brought our own snacks on a recent road trip to minimize plastic packaging and ended up saving money by avoiding the price-gouging of rest stations on the road.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Pets

In what ways is supplying your pet with all natural pet toys better for your pet, better for you, and better for the environment?
Brent Charest 7/21/2022 7:30 AM
Our cats are family, so we don't want them to have toxic materials hiding in their toys, litter or food. Giving them natural pet toys to play with is the healthiest option, and we buy them from a local pet shop. It's a win for our cats and our community.

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Brent Charest 7/13/2022 12:46 PM
I read that even bees are negatively affected by microplastics. Saw a lot of bees on my morning walk and am glad to see they're doing okay in this area.

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Brent Charest 7/12/2022 4:55 PM
Remembered our own mesh produce bags at the farmers market - the vendor said they've seen that more and more lately, which was encouraging.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Brent Charest 7/08/2022 6:59 AM
I picked up a coffee cup at a park the other day and a kid asked me what I was doing. I told them I didn't want an animal to choke on the cup. I like to think the kid will ask their parents more about this and the parents will explain that littering hurts the community, which will make the child feel more connected to it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
Brent Charest 7/08/2022 6:56 AM
When I ask for my drink, no straw, the server usually isn't surprised, as this request is much more common. Some let me know their straws are "green" or "compostable," which is a step in the right direction, but I still avoid them when possible.

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