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Allyson Coleman's avatar

Allyson Coleman

Brandywine Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,096 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    2.0
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    8.0
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    131
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    79
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    20
    minutes
    spent learning

Allyson's actions

Kitchen

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Family + Pets

Get Rid of Glitter

I will teach my little ones about microplastics while we do a craft project together using glitter alternatives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Thrifty Pets

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Thoughtful Toys

I will only buy cloth, wooden or plant-based natural rubber toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Family + Pets

Use Cloth Diapers

I will replace single use diapers with reusable cloth diapers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Discover Together

I will spend 10 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

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

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 1 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Sustainable Suds

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

That Was a Close Shave

I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 2 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Plastic Free Lunch Boxes

I will only pack reusable cutlery, drinkware and containers in my family's lunches to reduce plastic waste.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

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 8
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?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/29/2023 9:36 AM
    It's so easy to fall into the "retail therapy" trap. Breaking that cycle for a little bit helps alot and in the long in run I'm hoping it will help me budget and develop healthier spending habits
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies benefit your family?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/29/2023 9:28 AM
    Saves time and money being able to avoid unnecessary steps! Apples, oranges and bananas for the win!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Beyond reducing waste, there are many benefits to packing zero waste lunches (for kids or yourself!). What other benefits have you noticed from this practice?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/29/2023 9:27 AM
    My kids are perfectly happy eating whole apples and whole apples don't need to be packaged separately! It saves more time than you think!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/29/2023 9:25 AM
    Little fabric/zippered snack bags are gold! We put them in the laundry when they are dirty. I also have reusable ziplocs and beeswraps. The beeswraps are annoying to clean because you can't use hot water, but they are pretty and can be used as bowl covers! I've also re-used food packaging in the past
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    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?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/22/2023 6:04 PM
    Definitely a way to sell more things! I started using a shaving stone and it takes longer but appears to last longer too. I thing the disposable razors are made cheap and made to be quickly replaceable

    • Emily Slagle's avatar
      Emily Slagle 7/26/2023 4:42 PM
      This might be the first time I've heard of a shaving stone!
      I use a steel razor and one downside to it is that the metal gets pretty slippery when wet which makes it harder to hold, but you can adjust how many blades you want to use at a time which is nice.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom
    What are the economic and personal benefits of switching to bar soap/shampoo/conditioner or refillable bottle options?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/22/2023 5:58 PM
    I tried bar conditioner and my hair declined, but I LOVE the Viori bar shampoo. I just have to tell everyone that it's my shampoo...otherwise my husband will use it as body soap. Oops. If that doesnt happen, it seems to last forever!

    • Allyson Coleman's avatar
      Allyson Coleman 7/23/2023 2:36 PM
      Kristina, do you use a conditioner bar that you love? What brand? I've tried Ethique and another brand who's name I can remember at the moment.

    • Krystina Jarvis's avatar
      Krystina Jarvis 7/23/2023 10:38 AM
      Conditioner bars that actually work are definitely harder to find than shampoo bars, but once you find the one your hair loves they're sooo lovely.

  • Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/22/2023 8:21 AM
    Today is a beautiful day so we are going to make the most of it and bring plastic free snacks prepared ahead of time at home and go to a playground.

  • Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/22/2023 8:19 AM
    this
    is Ravioli, and she likes to share her toys with my kids and vice versa
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Family + Pets
    In what ways is diapering your child with cloth diapers better for your child, better for you, and better for the environment?

    Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/22/2023 7:30 AM
    Well the most obvious reason is that it keeps gross diapers out of the landfill. This is a particularly hard one for me, however. I already had a stash of cloth diapers from when I used them for my older kid. That wasn't too bad at the time. It did create a lot of laundry though. For some reason though it has been SO MUCH more difficult to use then with kid #2. Diapering him even with disposables is like diapering a tornado. It's harder than you think and 1000% consider diapering a part of my daily workout regimen. And of course I haven't even mentioned the 💩 yet....
    Long story short: people who cloth diaper have amazing resolve and commitment and I applaud them. I also don't judge those who can't keep it up with it.

  • Allyson Coleman's avatar
    Allyson Coleman 7/20/2023 3:46 AM
    It's always surprising how much plastic is integrated into every little part of our lives. One change I made in the past was to use a soda stream. (I love carbonated water) This keeps me from buying single use sparkling water bottles.

    • Allyson Coleman's avatar
      Allyson Coleman 7/22/2023 7:35 AM
      Yes Jen! It's amazing and I love it. I don't use any of the flavors sold separately, just for my own carbonated water and added to whatever drinks I make at home. It's actually gotten me to be better about drinking more water on a daily basis.

    • Jennifer Klotz's avatar
      Jennifer Klotz 7/20/2023 5:37 PM
      I've been contemplating Soda Stream, so I'll have to chat with you and your thoughts. In the meantime, I only buy cans of seltzer as my way of avoiding plastic bottles.