Callie Erwin

"Working at a zoo I think it's important to practice what we teach to the pubic. We should be the models for others to look up to in regards to sustainability."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
940 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

34

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

4.0

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

6.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

7.0

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

6.0

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

10

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

10

minutes

spent learning

Callie's actions

Study

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 4
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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Fill a Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 2
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 7
DAILY 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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Ditch Dryer Sheets

I will use wool dryer balls or another plastic-free alternative to dryer sheets to keep my clothes static-free.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
Callie Erwin 7/09/2023 7:09 AM
I try to use reusable shopping bags when I can. Shopping at Aldi helps since they do not offer free plastic grocery bags and, when I do forget to bring my own bags, they have paper ones available. These paper bags then double as toys for my cat when I get home. I think the main difficult thing is when I do have to do my larger shopping trips to Kroger or Walmart. I don't have enough (or strong enough) bags often times for those big trips so I try to limit those trips as much as possible.

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- Kaity Knutson 7/13/2023 5:20 PM
  One way I combat this is by keeping a large stash of reusable bags in my car and packaging my items in my trunk after I get done shopping. It can be hard to remember to put my bags back in the car, but by having a sizable collection (all acquired for free from hand-me-downs or giveaways), I usually have plenty of extras. You can also save your plastic bags and keep a stash in your car to reuse as well (plus they can come in handy as trash bags for road trips or extra waterproofing for shoes if you get caught in a storm!)
  
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- Kristen Werling 7/11/2023 9:58 AM
  Skipping plastic bags has been my biggest challenge this month. I too do large shopping trips and reusable bags just don't always make the trip or work as well. I always use or recycle the plastic bags, but I know it's not the same as not using them in the first place. This will continue to be a struggle for me, I'm sure!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

Since the restrictions that COVID-19 has required of our society, trying to use your own cup might present new barriers, as well as new opportunities for creative problem solving. How were you able to achieve success on this action? How can you make it a long-term habit?
Callie Erwin 7/02/2023 7:27 AM
I have my own iced coffee maker at home that has a reusable coffee filter in it so I am able to avoid using one use filters and single use k-cups. The only way I can make it better/totally waste free is if I am able to find sustainably sourced coffee grounds in recyclable packaging.

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