Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023

July 1 - July 31, 2023

Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn

SCZ Black Footed Ferret

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
961 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

4.0

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

8.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

33

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

29

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

45

minutes

spent learning

Jaiden'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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

A Sustainable Flow

I will make the switch to sustainable, reusable period products.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Sunshine Bleached

I will hang-dry my laundry to use the sun as a natural bleach alternative, or use another natural bleach alternative.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

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

COMPLETED 11
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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 4 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 1
DAILY ACTION

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

Community

Host a Watch Party

I will host a watch party with friends and/or colleagues to watch and discuss a movie about plastics.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Balloons Blow

Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 30 learning about the dangers of balloons and find eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Family + Pets

Had you ever considered the environmental impact of balloons before? How can you share this information with your friends and family to encourage them to avoid balloons, too?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 8:04 PM
yes, I have considered the negative effects of balloon releases before. i can hopefully stop certain family members that i know have released balloons multiple times in the past by telling them that they directly effect marine environments.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Study

Were you surprised by what the different plastic identification numbers mean? How can this information help you become a better recycler?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 7:27 PM
i wasn’t necessarily surprised, there’s lots of science that goes into sorting the types of plastics that i don’t quite understand, but it’s up to the professionals. this info helps me know which materials i need to reduce, and which ones i can reuse, and overall avoiding incorrectly recycling/using these materials

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Bedroom

The simple act of hang drying your laundry can be an act of mindfulness. Where else in your daily routine can you make mindfulness a practice?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:47 PM
our drier broke, and it made me realize how easy it is to hang up your clothes rather than just throwing them in the drier and using more energy than needed

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does hosting a watch party help you to get to know your guests, connect them to the cause you are focusing on, and build your community?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:47 PM
my best friend and I watched plastic island on Netflix, it was about plastic usage around the world with a focus on places in Indonesia. they specifically targeted single use plastic bags. it followed a musician from Bali that made protest music about getting a cleaner environment. it was super cool to see a community coming together and working together, but the reason for it and the footage they got was also very heartbreaking

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:44 PM
it makes me feel so happy that i am helping out the natural environment. i feel as though you can set an example for other people, as they may see you picking up litter and they can’t help themselves but notice more litter as they continue walking and maybe they’ll feel inclined to help out!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:42 PM
depends on the person/organization really, like the organization that I used to work has gone without single use straws for a while now. at first they were only selling optional metal straws, but lots and lots of people were upset about it. to compromise, the company has recently started selling the reusable cups with modified lids and easy to clean, reusable straws along with the cup. however, it’s still important to acknowledge that some people DO need to use plastic straws because of a disability or any other similar reason.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

In what ways is social media an effective tool for sharing your values?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:38 PM
social media definitely helps spread the word more to the people you’re closest with, and could bring people together. i shouted out the cheyenne mountain zoo on my Instagram because the edu department there and their teens worked very hard to bring teens from all over the nation together, to make friends, and most importantly discuss sustainable options, learn about different pollutions, etc

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:34 PM
the hardest part about this was having reusable bags for multiple purposes and not just grocery shopping, then going to the store and then realizing that you left literally all of your reusable bags at home :)) but the easiest part was not having to walk out to my car with 500 small bags that are all ripping at the same time, that and you can match the designs of the bags to your personality and the things you like. and you look cooler than everyone else because you’re being sustainable

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Bathroom

Disposable tampons and menstrual pads are often quite expensive. What are the economic and personal benefits of this switch for you?
Jaiden Lansdowne-Vaughn 7/31/2023 4:23 PM
there is sooo much less waste!! this goes for the wrappers, and the often uncomfortable single use sanitary item itself. you can even learn to make your own reusable pads and learn a new skill, or support someone else’s small business that makes reusable pads etc. also the option for fun fabrics is 100% the best

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