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Tom Tran's avatar

Tom Tran

L.A. Zoo - Angeleno Plastic Eliminators (APE)

"Less plastic used, less plastic in the Ocean."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,469 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    74
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    90
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    30
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    302
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    146
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

Tom's actions

Lifestyle

KEEP IT UPCYCLE

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

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

Lifestyle

Clean Plate Club

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Personal Care

That Was a Close Shave

I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors.

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

Cook a Plastic Free Meal

I will prepare meals at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Learn about Environmental Justice

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 60 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

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 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Family

Use Cloth Diapers

I will replace single use diapers with reusable cloth diapers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family

Glass Bottle Baby

I will replace 10 plastic bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.

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 30
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 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 35 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 31
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 29
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 30
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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 26
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?


  • Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/30/2022 1:43 PM
    The Plastic Free Challenge has been fun! It has made our family more mindful of single use plastics. 
  • 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?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/30/2022 1:42 PM
    As someone who likes to be prepared, our "health and safety" purchasing habits are always-- "we might need this in the future, so let's stock up on it". Unfortunately, we end up not using some of these products and throw them away when they are past the use by date. In the future, we will be more mindful of what we actually use and try to select items that have a longer shelf life to reduce waste. 
  • 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?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/30/2022 1:38 PM
    Unfortunately, single use plastics are everywhere. It seems like most foods are packaged in single use plastics. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Cook a Plastic Free Meal
    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?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/29/2022 1:50 PM
    Instead of buying spices in flimsy one use bottles, we can buy a refillable option made of glass. 

  • Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/28/2022 12:57 PM
    Woohoo, go LA Zoo Team APE! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Clean Plate Club
    How easy was this swap for you? Did you have any concerns before making it?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/28/2022 12:55 PM
    Super easy! We switched to the refillable option and will never look back.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Family Learn about Environmental Justice
    What did you and your family learn about environmental justice? What questions came up for you? What feelings?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/27/2022 4:09 PM
    Environmental justice is closely associated with social-economic justice. Many poorer neighborhoods are more susceptible to the effects of industrial pollution. It is very upsetting which calls for more civic engagement to compel positive change from political leaders.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle KEEP IT UPCYCLE
    What's a positive example of a repurposed good that you have observed in your neighborhood/city?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/27/2022 4:05 PM
    While working with a beach clean up, I noticed pillow cases used as receptacles for trash. The pillow cases were then recollected, washed and ready for the next beach clean up!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Lifestyle Complete a Waste Audit
    What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/26/2022 1:40 PM
    Surprisingly, we create a lot of waste for a small household in a modest house. It made us delve deeper into what kind of waste we generate and how we can reduce it. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Personal Care That Was a Close Shave
    What have you noticed about the economic and social impact of switching to steel razors? Was there ever really a need for disposable razors, or do you think it was just a way to sell more things?

    Tom Tran's avatar
    Tom Tran 7/25/2022 1:36 PM
    I saved a lot of money and eliminated lots of landfill plastic by phasing out disposable razors. The marketing makes it seem like I would get a better shave with disposables but it wasn't true!