Paola Andrea Suarez

SF Teaching Zoo Zero Wasters

"To encourage myself and others to do our best in being plastic free. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
627 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

37

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

50

pieces of litter

picked up

Paola Andrea's actions

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 3
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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Natural Fibers

When available, I will purchase clothing made with natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, or wool, rather than synthetic fibers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 5
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Give Some Green Gratitude

I will give a shout-out on social media to a local company, coworker, friend or family member for their plastic free or green efforts.

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

Food

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 9
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 8
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?

Paola Andrea Suarez 7/29/2022 5:16 AM
Today I picked up garbage during our morning walk with out dog. It felt good to do something about it instead of being frustrated. I can't always bring a bag and grabber with me so I try to remember where I see garbage. This way I pick it up later. So satisfying! 😆

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Paola Andrea Suarez 7/29/2022 5:14 AM
Yesterday I went for my 6 month dental check up and politely declined the goodie bag they give at the end. I explained how I use bamboo toothbrushes and metal container that holds bamboo floss. I also shared about the ecochallenge and the unplastic store.

My husband also wanted me to get him bagels which was a positive and negative experience. The + is that I was able to get the food in paper bag and a straw made of agave biodegradable for his iced coffee. The negative was the cup for the coffee was regular plastic. 😢 My husband doesn't think they allow reusable cups but hasn't asked. I told him in the future I want to try to at least ask because it pains me to get plastic cups.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

What are the benefits (to people, animals, and the environment) of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers?
Paola Andrea Suarez 7/27/2022 6:40 AM
I think one big benefit of purchasing clothes made with natural fibers is how they can degrade without making tons of waste like artificial fibers do. Microplastic is polluting so much of our world. It's also a chance for us to be more sustainable. Be more in touch with nature and be grateful for all of Mother Earth's gifts. We can take care of our clothing needs while taking care of her as well.

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- Debra Lee Norton Wear 7/30/2022 7:18 PM
  I am a science teacher and my students weee stunned to find out how much micro plastic is used. It gave Them much to think about
  
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Paola Andrea Suarez 7/21/2022 10:10 AM
The challenge today was picking up prescription medicine and being told that due to hygiene plus other regulations they can't refill it in the old bottle. I wish there was a way to do this in a plastic free way honoring the need for hygiene and safety.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

Was this action easy or difficult to do? How did it change your travel experience?
Paola Andrea Suarez 7/19/2022 8:17 AM
It's very easy for me to bring my own snacks. I always travel with my sigg water bottle and a snack in my purse. It's helpful to plan ahead especially since I'm vegan and gluten free.

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Paola Andrea Suarez 7/19/2022 8:15 AM
My husband had his 6 month dental check up today. He was so excited to tell me how he refused the goody bag. It's usually plastic bag full of lots of plastic disposable items. He was also proud of himself for sharing with the dental technician about Life unplastic store. It seems thanks to his suggestion she'll visit it for the first time. I also refuse unnecessary plastic gifts and enjoy using it as opportunities to talk about being more plastic free.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
Paola Andrea Suarez 7/15/2022 7:48 AM
It was pretty easy because we keep reusable bags with us in the car. Also when we forgot to bring enough I asked for paper bags. Especially in Publix a lot of people forget that's an option to ask for.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?
Paola Andrea Suarez 7/15/2022 7:46 AM
We always keep reusable bags in the car and when we're out I may put one in my purse as well. When we go to Sam's club we also grab the boxes to put things in.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Paola Andrea Suarez 7/13/2022 6:14 AM
Vegan spinach pesto. We bought the spinach using our reusable net bags. I wish we could figure out a way to avoid plastic when it came to our vegan products. It's interesting to note that a vegan or vegetarian diet is better for the environment however it doesn't always align when it comes to reduces plastic usage. I'm glad we no longer use plastic wrap, plastic sandwich bags or utensils. It's been easy to keep away from those thanks to beeswax wrap, reusable cloth bags and things like steel straws.

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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?
Paola Andrea Suarez 7/13/2022 6:09 AM
This may seem like a nitpicky thing but the other day my husband pointed out that he couldn't find certain fruits that weren't packaged in plastic. And then when he went to get clementines they were advertised in a package that said it was "greener" because the label wasn't plastic anymore. However the net that held the clementines was still in plastic. Why can't they use hemp or something biodegradable?

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