Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2022

July 1 - July 31, 2022

Christina Hummel-Colla

L.A. Zoo - Angeleno Plastic Eliminators (APE)

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
233 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

60

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.0

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill

Christina's actions

Lifestyle

KEEP IT UPCYCLE

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 15 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Spread the word!

I will promote Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2022 at my workplace and encourage visiting members of the public to participate.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Green Beauty

When it's time to buy more, I will replace my beauty products with refillable, sustainable, and/or DIY options.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Clean Plate Club

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Sustainable Suds

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 15 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusables at Work

I will use reusable dishes and silverware when eating at work.

COMPLETED 0
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
Community

How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?
Christina Hummel-Colla 7/22/2022 9:28 AM
It feels really good to get outside and work together with other community members who care to make a visible difference. I have been volunteering with my local chapter of the California Native Plant Society, which meets to pick up trash and conduct weeding at Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve. This has been a wonderful way to start my day (even though it means being up early!) because I get to enjoy the quiet, watch the world wake up, listen to the birds sing all while doing something to give back to the local environment that supports us.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

How easy was this swap for you? Did you have any concerns before making it?
Christina Hummel-Colla 7/20/2022 12:16 PM
Thinking about all the swaps one has to make to reduce plastic consumption can seem overwhelming, but this swap was actually pretty easy and straightforward. I started a subscription with A Drop in the Ocean and they sent me a box of unpackaged dishwasher pods, which I am now storing in a mason jar under the sink. When it is time to replenish my liquid dish soap, I know that it will be easy because I can just add the refillable dish soap to my subscription.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Christina Hummel-Colla 7/18/2022 11:00 AM
I have had partial success with this challenge. After asking at my local coffee shop, I found that staff are happy and willing to fill my reusable cup for me. When I tried asking at a drive through line, I discovered the fast food staff would not fill my reusable cup. I imagine staff at local businesses have a lot more leeway in setting their own policies, as opposed to corporate chains with set policies and procedures.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?
Christina Hummel-Colla 7/11/2022 5:28 PM
I love thrift shopping, and having learned early on about the costs of fast fashion as a high school student, I have always preferred clothing swaps or buying second hand to buying new. I also have a tendency to wear my favorite items of clothing until they fall apart, so recently I have been disassembling worn items to create patterns from which I can create new things. Using hand embroidery to embellish clothing also gives it a personal touch. Repairing and remaking clothing is a great way to express your personality, creativity, and values. Anyway, making or remaking an item is a heck of a lot more creative than buying it ready-made off the shelf.

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