Philip Caltabiano

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

"Always making the effort to learn more and improve. Progress is progress, no matter how small!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
765 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

35

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

26

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

160

minutes

spent learning

Philip's actions

Kitchen

Go Strawless

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Estimate Your Ecological Footprint

I will calculate my ecological footprint, and from the results brainstorm and take action on ways I can reduce my annual footprint.

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

Study

Learn about Plastic Production

Plastic production, not just disposal, pollutes communities and harms people. I will learn about the impacts of plastic production on humans, animals, communities, and the environment.

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 30 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Philip Caltabiano 8/01/2023 9:38 AM
I definitely feel like I could have done more, but I learned a lot about the history of plastic, the difficulty of actually recycling most of it, and many ways to make small changes to my daily life that can help reduce the usage of plastics.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

How has learning about the history of single-use plastic shifted your mindset on plastics and their function within society?
Philip Caltabiano 7/29/2023 11:08 AM
I had not idea plastics were first created in an attempt to be eco-friendly and protect elephants from the ivory trade. I know of the explosion of uses during and after World War II, but not the extent of how badly it began to become produced. Especially with over half of all production being in the last 20 years. Society is definitely plastic dependent, and I see that shifting slightly. My worry with this is connected to the fact that plastic dependence being single use started as a desire for convenience and cheap material. Trying to force people away from that will most likely have an unfair burden on those that are struggling to get by and will be easier for those that have more income and either free-time for chores or disposable income to pay others to help clean. I know families where they feel very beholden to their single use plastics, and I hope society finds ways to help them out instead of making them feel guilty. We all need to work on this issue together, including supporting others.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

What did you learn about how plastic production impacts humans, animals, communities, and the environment? Which of these impacts specifically affects your community?
Philip Caltabiano 7/29/2023 10:32 AM
I learned even more about the negative impacts on health and the bias against BIPOC communities that are more heavily impacted by this and shoulder more of that burden due to the locations of the production plants. I live near refineries and know there are risks associated with that, but it is difficult to move away due to rent costs being lower in my area.

Read More
Philip Caltabiano 7/29/2023 9:56 AM
There are so many more plastic-free alternatives than I even realized, and I am so excited to start making some changes around the home. My favorite new find are dish soap bars! I knew about bars of shampoo and conditioner already, but adding this to the kitchen cleaning routine seems so easy and logical that I'm surprised I hadn't heard about it already.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

Were you surprised by what the different plastic identification numbers mean? How can this information help you become a better recycler?
Philip Caltabiano 7/22/2023 4:00 PM
I knew about contamination and thought I was aware of the limited amount of plastics that are actually recyclable, but I was wrong! I didn't realize #1 and #2 were the only highly likely plastics to be accepted at most facilities. I am feeling a little guilty about those milk cartons and plastic bags (normally from small shops that have given them to me without being requested) I have recycled in the past, but will try to check every piece of plastic from now on!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

What did you learn about your ecological footprint by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you? What are some ways you will take action to reduce your footprint?
Philip Caltabiano 7/22/2023 11:07 AM
Eating meat has a huge impact, which wasn't surprising in general, but the extent of the impact was. I do try replacing meals with meat alternatives already, but will also make sure those alternatives are more local to reduce shipping.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
Philip Caltabiano 7/22/2023 11:05 AM
compost straws normalized

Read More