Leila Kohler-Frueh

National Aquarium

"Here to learn."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
669 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

7.0

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

5.0

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

24

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

11

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted

Leila's actions

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

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 5
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

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

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 3 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 5
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 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Skip Plastic Bags

When possible, I will not use disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 4
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?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/31/2022 7:35 AM

One thing is for sure: I am far more sensitized to the pervasiveness of plastic in everyday life, particularly packaging and clothes. I thought I was great at being a clever, conscious consumer, recycler/reducer, but I'm now quite clear on just how many shifts I need to make to even come close to reducing a small percent of the plastic I consume.

Read More
Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/18/2022 2:03 PM

I'm enjoying the process, and after having read the 'behavoir change' article, have more hope that my better attenuation will be part of progress (even if not perfect yet).

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit

What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/18/2022 2:01 PM

I am actually almost overwhelmed by how much waste we produce as a household--and we're good recyclers, compost, don't frivolously buy clothes, etc. In relation to buying all plastic-free products, it's actually nearly impossible--though making better choices to reduce is not (impossible).

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle Buy Only What I Need

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?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/18/2022 1:59 PM

It is really easy for me to mindlessly buy something, esp. if it is on sale, and I know it's something that we frequently use. I almost did this yesterday when going for a needed item, but managed to not mindlessly (opportunistically?) consume and walk out of three stores with nothing in hand (because I did not find what I needed). That's almost a first.

Read More
Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/11/2022 7:16 PM

Going well, except that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of plastic in daily existence. I thought I was tuned into this, but the challenge has taught me that I was quite unaware.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Keep My Community Clean

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/11/2022 7:14 PM

I don't know that I could honestly say that it makes me feel more connected to my, or any, community, but I pick things when when I can. It's often a lot more.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Estimate My Plastic Consumption

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/11/2022 7:13 PM

Fascinating! This will be great to do with the family. Maybe at work, too. I am considering doing the plastic offset donation.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Family Plastic Free Lunch Boxes

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?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/11/2022 6:55 PM

It's always so much nicer to have a real spoon or fork, anyway!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Go Strawless

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/11/2022 6:52 PM

I never seek out straws, but did a much better job of deliberately asking not to have a straw during a (rare) stretch of dining out with friends over the past two weeks.

Read More
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?

Leila Kohler-Frueh 7/11/2022 6:51 PM

I thought I was pretty conscientious about this, but eleven days in, I can see how hard it can be to be completely plastic-free in purchasing at a store. For this month, I'm trying to make choices that prioritize no plastic as much as possible, but it may be difficult for it to be sustainable long-term. That said, I buy as much as possible from the farmers' market, bring my own bags for the produce, and so on. Going plastic-free with, say, cheeses, may be impossible (for example). But, prioritizing reusable or no packaging is an achievable guideline, even if it can't be met with 100% perfection.

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