Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums

Plastic Free Ecochallenge 2023

July 1 - July 31, 2023

Shannon Mooney

"Working to learn more about my personal impact on the environment, and creating healthier and more sustainable habits for the future!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,161 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

25

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

62

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

9.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

49

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

160

minutes

spent learning

Shannon's actions

Kitchen

Go Strawless

I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

COMPLETED 31
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

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.

COMPLETED 9
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

Kitchen

Plastic Free Lunch Boxes

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

COMPLETED 25
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 23
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Family + Pets

DIY Cat Litter

I will swap out my cat's litter for sawdust, mulch, or dirt with baking soda.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Become a Recycling Pro

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 30 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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 30 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 20 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

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?
Shannon Mooney 7/16/2023 9:18 AM
After calculating my fashion footprint, I learned that my footprint is 75% lower than the average person! That was great news to learn, and I am eager to learn how to make this footprint even lower. I have found over the years that I have a few go-to items that I am able to dress up or down for different occasions, and style differently with hair, makeup, and jewelry to allow my personality to show through without buying new clothing items for each different occasion.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

Have you noticed a difference in how your community, friends, and family members use plastics since you've shared your own actions?
Shannon Mooney 7/16/2023 8:09 AM
I had a great conversation with a friend regarding "wish-cycling". She had not yet heard the term, and was in a similar boat as I was when it came to confusion regarding recycling policies. I was excited to share some of the things I have learned recently, and help to clear up confusion and steer us both in a better direction moving forward!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
Shannon Mooney 7/12/2023 10:31 AM
Yesterday I spent time looking into which recycling drop off facilities are located closest to my new apartment, and listed out which types of items are accepted and under what conditions to bring home as a reminder. I plan to add a recycling drop to my monthly calendar to ensure I am still doing my part in a new place!

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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?
Shannon Mooney 7/10/2023 11:01 AM
It was very interesting learning what all of the different numbers inside the arrows mean, I had no idea there were so many different types of plastic! One thing I found slightly discouraging was when researching drop off sites for recycling in Tampa, their guidelines stated to disregard these numbers as they are not standard everywhere, and only use the signage for each specific facility. Still, I definitely learned a lot about all the different plastics, and which ones to avoid when possible more than others!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Kitchen

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
Shannon Mooney 7/10/2023 10:35 AM
Going plastic straw free was easy for me personally, I have several metal reusable straws that I keep with me all the time. Where I struggle most in this area is working part time at a restaurant - every drink is required to have disposable straws, and every single to-go item gets paired with a plastic bag. Frequently, guests don't even want these items and they get left behind and thrown out. I have been making a conscious effort during my shifts and in sections to only offer these items when specifically requested, and stop the automatic handout and waste of plastic materials.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Family + Pets

Other species can teach us important lessons about ourselves and life in general. What has your cat taught you?
Shannon Mooney 7/09/2023 8:29 AM
My cats can be particular about their litter, so I was nervous to make the switch. However, I swapped one of two litter boxes out for sawdust, and it is being used successfully! I am excited to make the switch completely to all-natural litter moving forward.

Read More
- Tango The Loggerhead 7/10/2023 8:51 AM
  I've had serious litter issues with cats previously, so this was really nerve wracking as well! But thankfully my kitties were good with the switch, and I've noticed a huge improvement in odors in the house too!
  
  Read More
Shannon Mooney 7/09/2023 8:19 AM
I have recently moved and am surprised to learn that there are still apartment complexes and living communities that do not provide access to recycling! I have made the move from a neighborhood that had regular recycling pickup to a complex that does not provide any type of recycling services. This has pushed me to learn more about the different recycling options throughout my community and start conversations with friends in similar situations about how they work around this, as well as to take extra care when making purchases to minimize the amount of recycling needed.

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- Kaitlyn Gengler 7/10/2023 10:29 AM
  I live right in downtown and my complex has zero recycling options as well, it is so disappointing. I bring my plastic bags to Publix to recycle or if I have something larger bring it to a friends house that recycles.
  
  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?
Shannon Mooney 7/05/2023 7:01 AM
Studying my ecological footprint helped me to narrow down the major areas of improvement I have in my life. Moving forward, I plan to be more conscious of where my food is coming from and how it is packaged, as well as becoming more mindful of ways to incorporate public transportation/carpooling into my regular schedule.

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