Join the movement to refuse single-use plastics with Plastic Free Ecochallenge!

Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2022

July 1 - July 31, 2022

Adventure Aquarium Feed

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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
Personal Care

How can you advocate for the importance of reducing packaging to the rest of your friends, family and larger community?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 7:20 PM
I try to show people that it’s not more expensive to reduce your plastic consumption. Some items can actually save you money and you don’t need to go out of your way to buy something drastically different than what you already use.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

What did you learn by making your own cleaning products? What is the biggest difference in making vs buying?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 7:12 PM
Making my own cleaning products is much cheaper than I expected. Paying for a name brand item vs using items I already have in my house to create my own cleaner is so easy!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Lifestyle

What did you learn about the waste you create? Where can you reduce the most?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 7:08 PM
Since reducing my plastic waste and buying more fresh ingredients, I now have a lot of food scraps that goes into the trash. To reduce this I want to start composting. This will become great fertilizer for all my house plants!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 7:06 PM
It’s always sad at first to see how’s much trash can be laying around and polluting the earth. But being together with others who share the same passion of helping clean up the environment is rewarding and heart warming.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does hosting a watch party help you to get to know your guests, connect them to the cause you are focusing on, and build your community?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 7:03 PM
Hosting a watch party with friends can spark healthy debate topics and conversations. Conservations can even turn into actions! This can bring people together to address problems in the community and see how you can help.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What are organizations in your region doing to address plastic pollution or other related issues? How can you support them?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 7:00 PM
You can help support organizations by raising awareness about them and bring an advocate. Educating yourself and others about important matters can help these organizations grow and help address problems like plastic pollution

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Pets

We know you want to - tell us about why your pet is so awesome!
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 6:52 PM
My dog loves her rubber curry brush! She’s been shedding a lot this season so it’s great that she enjoys it. It’s gentle on her skin and fur and it’s super durable.

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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?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 6:51 PM
I noticed that people will go for convenience of items like pre-sliced fruits and veggies in a container rather than them cutting it up themselves. I’ve even seen unnecessary things like single cucumbers wrapped in plastic when there’s others 3ft away in no plastic.

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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?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 6:47 PM
I switched some simple things like getting olive oil or even my salad dressings in glass containers instead of single use plastic ones. I can use the glass containers for storage or repurpose them for something else.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Family

How does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies benefit your family?
Colleen McKeon 7/31/2022 6:45 PM
Fresh fruits or veggies are healthier than processed snacks. It’s better getting natural sugars from fruits/veggies to stay energized longer instead of a candy sugar rush that doesn’t last long and ends in a crash of energy.

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