Betsy Atwood

National Aquarium

"Keep the sea plastic free! 🦈🪼🪸"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
750 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

10

conversations

with people
UP TO

134

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

2.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning

Betsy's actions

Community

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

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

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Pearly Whites

I will switch to a plastic-free toothpaste — whether purchased or DIY'd.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Numbers Everywhere

The numbers #1-7 on plastics tell us a lot - and can help us be better recyclers. I will learn what these numbers mean and which types of plastics are accepted for recycling in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Become a Recycling Pro

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 60 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Plastic Tracker

Every day in July, I will write down any single use plastics that I use during my day. By doing this, I hope to create a visual representation of my plastic usage so I can focus on categories that I struggle with.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

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

Participant Feed

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?
Betsy Atwood 7/08/2023 8:40 AM
I live in PG county. When I looked up our recycling rules, I was very happy to see I was already following the requirements for recycling. I will admit that I did not know which numbers we don't accept in general recycling route, but I was correct about the items themselves. In PG, we do not accept numbers 4 and 6. There are places to drop off some of the restricted items (ie plastic bags). Our community website has a comprehensive list of acceptable materials and where to drop off the others.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Betsy Atwood 7/07/2023 7:39 AM
Picking up a few pieces of trash every day makes me feel like I'm keeping our community healthier and safer for our animal friends. I know it isn't a lot, but just knowing that I've at least done a little to be part of the solution, makes me feel useful. It also has reminded me that it really takes all of us to keep our communities clean and thriving.

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Betsy Atwood 7/03/2023 6:34 PM
I downloaded an app to help me keep track of my plastic usage. It let's me track the plastic I used and the plastic I refused. It's incredibly helpful. It's called Remora: reduce single-use.

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Betsy Atwood 6/27/2023 2:47 PM
I'm not sure if I'll like it but I am absolutely willing to try plastic-free toothpaste!

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- Jaime Webster 6/30/2023 9:47 AM
  I LOVE the Bite mint toothpaste bits! They taste like normal toothpaste AND shockingly they foam up once you start brushing, so its not gritty - to me it had similar consistency to normal toothpaste. And the refills come in recyclable paper packs so you don't end up with multiple glass bottles.
  
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- Debra Debra Lee Norton Wear 6/29/2023 7:21 PM
  Today I examined toothpaste to compare sustainable plastic free or eco friendly brands with others
  
  5.25 ounces David’s toothpaste recyclable tube sustainable packaging natural ingredients 9.99
  Himalayan boutanique toothpaste 5.29 ounces 6.99
  Native toothpaste 4.1 ounces 6.99
  
  Hello 4.2 ounces 5.29
  
  Colgate 3.8 ounces 4.49
  
  Top care 4 ounces 3.79
  
  Crest 5.4 ounces 3.49
  
  Arm n hammer peroxicare 6 ounces 4.29
  
  Ultrabrite 6 ounces 99 cents
  
  Aim 5.5 ounces 1.29
  
  Pepsodent 5.5 ounces 1.5
  
  there was a price differential between eco friendly brands and other brands. I think much of the work we need to do involves finding ways to make the price differences a non issue.
  
  I would be curious to know what brand you used and what the cost differential was
  
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- Debra Debra Lee Norton Wear 6/29/2023 7:19 PM
  Thanks for the review of the toothpaste Which brand did you use
  
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- Betsy Atwood 6/28/2023 12:18 PM
  So I tried them this morning, and honestly, I love them! My teeth feel clean and the taste was pleasant. I was hesitant for awhile, but they are great for me. They come in a bunch of flavors, with or without fluoride. Highly recommend!
  
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- Debra Debra Lee Norton Wear 6/28/2023 7:23 AM
  I would also like to know what you think about toothpaste bits. I gave a bamboo toothbrush but I haven’t tried toothpaste bits yet.
  
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- Patricia Jonas 6/28/2023 4:20 AM
  Would be great to get your feedback after you have had some time with this product. I am a Bite deodorant customer but have hesitated about the toothpaste bits.
  
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