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!
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Fill a Water Bottle
I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.
COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS
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 25
DAILY ACTIONS
Community
Become a Recycling Pro
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 30 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS
Personal Care
Say No to "Flushable Wipes"
Wipes don't break down in sewer systems, but combine with fat to create massive clogs. I will find alternatives to using disposable wipes.
COMPLETED 22
DAILY 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 25
DAILY ACTIONS
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 24
DAILY ACTIONS
Community
Share My Actions
I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
Personal Care
Eco Deodorant
I will switch to a plastic-free deodorant — whether purchased or DIY'd.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Personal Care
Sustainable Suds
I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with a sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable option.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Family
Use Reusable Baby Wipes
I will make better choices for the environment and my baby's bum by using reusable baby wipes most or all of the time.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Family
Thoughtful Toys
I will only buy cloth, wooden or plant-based natural rubber toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Family
Get Rid of Glitter
I will teach my little ones about microplastics while we do a craft project together using glitter alternatives.
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
Family
Swap the Snacks
I will swap out 10 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.
COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS
Food
Minimize Packaging
I will purchase food items with the least amount of packaging.
COMPLETED 24
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 24
DAILY ACTIONS
Food
Advocate For Better Food Packaging
I will advocate for alternatives to single use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, or work.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Dig into Bioplastics
I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Host a Watch Party
I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Family
Discover Together
I will spend 10 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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 16
DAILY ACTIONS
Family
Neighborhood trash cleanup
We will clean up trash while walking dog everyday
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?
The LA County Dept. of Public Works is still offering its series of free webinars to beautify your home and garden during through September 2022. The Smart Gardening Webinars are approximately 45 minutes long followed by a 15-minute period to answer questions and take orders for compost bins. For those who are unable to attend, they have posted videos of the sessions. There are four core subjects being offered:
Intro to Composting: Learn about backyard and worm composting to create a rich soil amendment to nourish your garden.
Water-wise Gardening: Create a beautiful drought-tolerant landscape and learn about grasscycling to fortify your lawn.
Organic Gardening: Build healthy soil, grow herbs and vegetables, and address plant pests and diseases using organic methods.
Small-space Gardening: Learn to grow plants in containers and set up a small-space worm composting system.
I purchased bird safe coffee at The LAZoo last night! Our conservation comm. will bevpromoting it to staff and volunteers. I am drinking it in my reusable mug right now! Yum!
Do an inventory of your kitchen to see how many single-use plastics you've used in the past. What are some resuable alternatives to these commonly used products? What would your impact be if you switched all the single-use products from your inventory to reusable?
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?
I have become aware of the use of packaging from this challenge. Now, if it has excess package I think about is there another item similar with less or can i re-purpose some of the excess.
I love all the special events companies put on by the zoo! It introduces a lot of people who do not come to the zoo to learn about it and to motivate them to return. But, not the caterers fault after there is food waste.I think after the event the workers and volunteers should be offered the left overs.
Carol Armstrong 7/30/2022 1:43 PM