Skip to main content

Modal Title

Modal Description

Welcome to Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023 expert in no time!

Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums
Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023
July 1 - July 31, 2023
Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar

Barbara Little-Harsh

SF Teaching Zoo Zero Wasters

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 966 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    82
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    37
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    7.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    95
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    7.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    49
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    69
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    50
    minutes
    spent learning

Barbara's actions

Community

Gorillas on the Line

Donate old handheld electronics for recycling at the zoo's ticket window. Items will be sent to Eco-Cell and funds raised from recycling are donated to support wild gorillas.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Fill a Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 22
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

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 11
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 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 6 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 13
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 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 1 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY 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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Days for Girls @ the Zoo

Come by the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo on Saturday, July 8, 10 am - 1 pm and chat with volunteers from Days for Girls. They will be giving out FREE reusable washable pads (for menstruation and incontinence) and beds for companion animals made by volunteers at the North Florida Sewing Center.

UNCOMPLETED
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 10 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

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

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 1 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 5 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom
    How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?
    Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar
    Barbara Little-Harsh 7/28/2023 11:20 AM
    Whenever possible, I donate my old clothes and also buy resell. I don't do a lot of clothes shopping, but I do buy a few new tops every year. Because we use cold water to wash clothes, they tend to last longer so I'm not replacing often. However, I will have to buy new clothes soon (yeah weight loss) and will hopefully find some second-hand items.
    Read More
    • Julie Mapes's avatar
      Julie Mapes 7/29/2023 5:48 PM
      That is great Barbara! Santa Fe has Sharewear, which is a great place to donate reusable items that others may find as a treasure! My daughter seems to clean out her room of stuff multiple times a year. She will put them in bags for me to go through. I have a friend whose daughter loves my daughters hand-me-downs, so I will sort many of the items for her, but then most of the others I will donate to Shareware. Shareware is able to take the proceeds from sales and use for scholarships for employees, while providing affordable clothes and housewares to students and employees are a bargain discount price! Completely run through volunteer efforts, this is a win-win-win for everyone!

      Congratulations on the weight loss! I know it isn't easy to do!
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
    Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar
    Barbara Little-Harsh 7/24/2023 10:20 AM
    Most places in town you now have to ask for a straw, instead of them just giving it to you. Most options are more sustainable than plastic as well. I typically refuse straws, therefore eliminating the problem all together.

    As a society we have become so germ conscious, thus requiring straws, that we forget that we used to just drink from a cup. I often get looked at weird when I drink from a glass at a restaurant for this reason.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    Using the links provided, investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed by this bottling process?
    Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar
    Barbara Little-Harsh 7/24/2023 10:15 AM
    Encourage folks to use tap water and refillable bottles instead of buying. The more we buy bottled water, the more companies are encouraged to buy the resources necessary for them to sell, including natural water sources we need.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
    Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar
    Barbara Little-Harsh 7/20/2023 11:52 AM
    I have reusable bags in my car and take them everywhere I go. On a rare occasion, we use grocery bags for trash can liners in the bathroom, so when we get them, we keep them for this purpose.
    Read More
    • Joanna Caputa's avatar
      Joanna Caputa 7/20/2023 6:44 PM
      Barbara, I keep reusable ones in my car too. But the ones I use the most are fold up bags with cats on them that my mom got me from the Greater Good. I can carry them in my back pack and take them out at the check out. I can't seem to break my husband of the disposable bag habit so we line out trash cans or scoop cat litter with them until such time as we find a good biodegradable bag.

      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen
    How does swapping out prepackaged snacks for fresh fruit or veggies benefit your family?
    Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar
    Barbara Little-Harsh 7/20/2023 11:44 AM
    The less processed the food is, the more beneficial it is to your health. I recently started an anti-inflammatory food plan, and with that I learned how much of our food is processed and therefore curtailing my needed weight loss. It has been great for my health, though it is more expensive to do.
    Read More
  • 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?
    Barbara Little-Harsh's avatar
    Barbara Little-Harsh 7/03/2023 7:02 AM
    I bring my cup from home, bypassing the need to go to a store/restaurant.
    Read More