Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023

July 1 - July 31, 2023

Lee Baldonado

South Carolina Aquarium

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
490 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

37

advocacy actions

completed
UP TO

45

conversations

with people
UP TO

107

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

95

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

22

minutes

spent learning

Lee's actions

Study

Say No to Styrofoam

Throughout its life cycle, polystyrene (styrofoam) can harm people, communities, and the planet. I will refuse styrofoam whenever I can, making sure to kindly let people know why I'm asking for alternative packaging.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Travel Toiletries

If traveling, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Clean Plate Club

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Cook a Plastic Free Meal

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

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Study

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Plant a Garden

I will plant an 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

Study

Plastic History Buff

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Follow the Chasing Arrows

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 15 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

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?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 12:01 PM
Reducing spending allows for me to afford healthier options especially food. In the long run that helps to reduce my need to visit to my doctors and my pharmacist. So in the long run..ask yourself, do I need it or do I want it? What is a healthier and safe option for what I'm looking at doing and then try that approach. Many of us have way more than we would ever need. Purge your life and aim for a healthier and safer outlook.

Read More
- Jennie Gilbert 7/31/2023 3:47 PM
  So true!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

How might styrofoam be an environmental justice and/or environmental racism issue in your community?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:52 AM
Human impact, both as in how we as humans have impacted the environment that our community lives in, but also how it impacts us health wise. If you replace the racism, with social economics (which we know is driven by long standing social standings) then you can see what is affordable for those in need. Styrofoam fountain drinks, Styrofoam coffee cups, Styrofoam cups for noodles, cheap styrofoam plates for cookouts. This items are geared toward being affordable options for families that have to watch an already strained budget.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

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?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:45 AM
Single use plastic is everywhere. Combine that with the thought that all plastic that has been produced ever is still with us today. That is scary. It also makes shopping difficult, but as a silver lining it also can save you money and a few inches on your waist!!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

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?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:44 AM
This can be difficult and was a challenge. Since post WW2, Americans have become indoctrinated with the easy to fix meals. No longer are we challenged to grow, create and prepare items that are not prepackaged. If we switched out all the single-use products we would have a lot more room in our pantries and a lot healthier foods on our washable plates!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:41 AM
Not that difficult, but it does highlight the number of times that I see plastic bags in our stores and being held by individuals during the challenge.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

Have you noticed a difference in how your community, friends, and family members use plastics since you've shared your own actions?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:40 AM
The more that we can put these issues at the forefront the more response we will see. Many times we as a society become consumed in our day to day lives only to lose measure of the things around us and how those things impact our lives. For all the evils that social media may bring, it can be used as an avenue to inform and educate if done correctly.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:37 AM
After having returned from Rome Italy and seeing the amount of litter within the eternal city, it can serve as an example of the direction that we are heading with or metro areas. If we do not continue to foster community litter sweeps and work to embrace waste reduction methods soon, we will found that we are living in a trash filled paradise (and this is the least of our worries regarding overall impact).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Bathroom

Even though they are marketed as "flushable," disposable wipes do not disintegrate in water or the sewer system, and actually release microplastics into our waterways. How does it feel to learn this information? What do you want to do about it?
Lee Baldonado 7/31/2023 11:34 AM
All though I knew this information it is so important to reduce the strain that is already placed on our current sewer and water systems here in the United States. Miss leading marketing such as "flushable" wipes not only result in extreme expense to clear out blockages to our current sewer systems that is passed down to consumers, but to know that it also accounts for increases in microplastics in our waterways. The dangers of false marketing and what can be the results.

Read More