Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2022

July 1 - July 31, 2022

Victoria Reddick

Toronto Zoo

"Reducing plastic waste one point at a time!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,251 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

51

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

110

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

29

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

334

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

29

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill

Victoria's actions

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant a herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.

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

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 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Become a Recycling Pro

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 6
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 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Use Reusables at Work

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 2 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 2 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

A Sustainable Flow

I will make the switch to sustainable, reusable period products.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Personal Care

Green Beauty

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Advocate for Plastic-Free Dining

I will talk to the owner or manager of a restaurant I frequent to request that they reduce their use of single-use and disposable plastics.

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

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
Food

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?
Victoria Reddick 7/20/2022 3:27 PM
I never really realized how much of the grocery store's produce section is wrapped in flexible plastics, especially for items that don't need it. The only reason they are bound this way is so you buy in bulk.

I think going forward I'm going to have to assess how much of an item I need and if an unpackaged item would better fit my needs rather than buying produce wrapped in plastic for the deal. This might also help me save on food waste.

Read More
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?
Victoria Reddick 7/15/2022 5:14 PM
I think the most difficult part of recycling is knowing even if I am sorting my recyclable items properly at home, those items may not get recycled anyway if they end up getting contaminated. I think what I've learned is that I can't completely rely on our waste systems and I must further reduce how much waste I create in order to make a bigger difference.

Read More
Victoria Reddick 7/12/2022 2:17 PM
my herbs are starting to sprout 🪴✨

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Victoria Reddick 7/11/2022 3:36 PM
Picking up litter helps me remind myself that taking care of my surroundings is not someone else's job. If I want my community to be clean I have to participate as well by throwing my waste in the proper bins and picking up litter when I can.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What did you learn about bioplastic production and disposal? Did anything surprise you? Are bioplastics accepted by your city's waste management?
Victoria Reddick 7/09/2022 5:59 AM
Bioplastics are really interesting. I do not want to villainize them as bioplastics have their uses and still emit fewer GHGs during their production than oil-based plastics. However, our composting systems would need to significantly change for them to be properly broken down. I also did not realize that some bioplastics degrade just like normal plastics and cause the exact same issues as normal plastics.

Bioplastics and compostable plastics are not accepted by Toronto's composting program. It seems like the only way you would be able to properly compost these items (if they can in fact be composted) is in an at-home compost.

I've linked a video here that shows 10 different ways people compost at home.

Read More
- Michelle Anne Olsen 7/11/2022 5:18 AM
  Thank you so much for this information, and these links! I wish that bioplastics were a magic solution, but it's important to understand their limitations, and where they can and cannot be disposed of effectively. I wonder if I can sell my partner on a worm compost...
  
  Read More
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?
Victoria Reddick 7/07/2022 5:37 AM
I used to find this action really easy pre-covid19, but since restrictions limiting the spread of covid-19 were put in place I find it incredibly difficult to use my own mug in a coffee shop. Most of the time now places will take my cup but prepare the drink in a plastic cup and then throw out the plastic cup after pouring it into my mug. It's frustrating because making a drink this way defeats the purpose of bringing the mug at all. Even Peacock Cafe does this! I find it is easier to just make my coffee at home as it is more sustainable and cheaper.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?
Victoria Reddick 7/06/2022 6:57 PM
I was not surprised much by the results of this calculator. I was low in most categories for plastic usage except for groceries and snacks. I don't do the grocery shopping in my household so it can be hard to make shopping decisions. Even when I am able to I find that where we normally shop it can be hard to avoid plastic packaging.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care

Disposable tampons and menstrual pads are often quite expensive. What are the economic and personal benefits of this switch for you?
Victoria Reddick 7/05/2022 5:06 PM
I find the reusable options I chose to be much more comfortable and less noticeable. I like that I don't have to use as many products or change them as much either. Though the change has been a little different than what I am used to, with some patience I think this change will stick.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Family

How does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies benefit your family?
Victoria Reddick 7/05/2022 4:55 PM
I feel like I'm eating much more nutritious snacks with this challenge and I do enjoy that however, I didn't think about how many snacks I was eating were individually wrapped. It cuts out many of the snacks I'm used to eating at work or when I get home. This challenge also forces me to plan my snacks ahead of time. So far I've gone 5 days without having an individually portioned snack. Hopefully that lasts. Definatly an exciting challenge!

Read More
Victoria Reddick 7/04/2022 2:34 PM
Started my herb garden over the weekend! Never planted anything by seeds before so we will see how this turns out.

Read More
- Michelle Anne Olsen 7/05/2022 6:55 AM
  I have the opposite of a green thumb. Let us know how this goes!!
  
  Read More