Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2022

July 1 - July 31, 2022

Mike Palmatier

Team ECOS

"Endeavor to live each day with a focus on plastic reduction and/or avoidance"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
2,077 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

13

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

59

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

166

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

6.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill

Mike's 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

Food

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 3 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or bringing my own travel cup.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Fill a Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 6 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY 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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Pets

Homemade Pet Food

I will prepare my own pet food to avoid plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY 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

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

Personal Care

That Was a Close Shave

I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lifestyle

Proper Bioplastic Disposal

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 1 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Say No to Styrofoam

Throughout its life cycle, polystyrene (styrofoam) can harm people, communities, and the planet. I will refuse styrofoam whenever I can, making sure to kindly let people know why I'm asking for alternative packaging.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Community

Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend 10 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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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?

Mike Palmatier 8/01/2022 8:01 PM
Challenge concluded yesterday but still checking in on teammates and accomplishments

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How might styrofoam be an environmental justice and/or environmental racism issue in your community?
Mike Palmatier 7/31/2022 9:45 AM
These families who are forced to live on the frontlines of Big Plastic’s polluting agenda are referred to as fenceline communities. They are given no voice in the corporate decision-making process and often receive serious threats when they try to fight back, as demonstrated in The Story of Plastic. The increased health risks of living near a plastic production site, mainly poor air quality of which Black people bear a “pollution burden” of 56% (excess exposure compared to consumption), also contributes to the death rate of COVID-19 being three times higher for Blacks when compared to white people.

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Mike Palmatier 7/31/2022 9:37 AM
Day 31 of the challenge. Now the job is to remember and act well past the daily challenge

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Mike Palmatier 7/30/2022 10:22 AM
Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources, and also the ecosystem. This can cause a range of potentially harmful effects on the species that drink the water.

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Mike Palmatier 7/29/2022 7:55 AM
The challenge month is nearing its end. Many learnings from staying engaged daily.

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Mike Palmatier 7/28/2022 8:14 AM
Plastic debris, laced with chemicals and often ingested by marine animals, can injure or poison wildlife. Floating plastic waste, which can survive for thousands of years in water, serves as mini transportation devices for invasive species, disrupting habitats.

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Mike Palmatier 7/27/2022 7:19 AM
Marathon...not a sprint...well past July

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Mike Palmatier 7/26/2022 7:05 AM
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Mike Palmatier 7/25/2022 7:37 AM
The energy consumed by the recycling process is significant. The level needed starts at the home where proper sorting and identification as required.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

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?
Mike Palmatier 7/25/2022 7:34 AM
Took virtual tour of Phoenix MRF. The drum feeder takes delivered mixed recycling materials. Drum feeder flattens out on conveyor belt. Physical intervention separates non-recyclable materials. The disc screen then sorts 2D and 3D materials for further processing. Plastic bags will shut down the disc screens. Next step is glass crusher to separate and crush glass. Then to optical sorters to sort paper and plastic, while going past human sorters again. magnetic and nonmagnetic sorters then separate metal. remaining recyclable material is then bailed.

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