Carolyn Shirk

L.A. Zoo - Team Angeleno Plastic Eliminators (Team APE)

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
395 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

21

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

57

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

10

minutes

spent learning

Carolyn's actions

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 12
DAILY 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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Minimize Packaging

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

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Better Gum

I will give up gum or choose gum made from chicle or other plastic-free gum bases.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Plastic History Buff

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 45 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Homemade Pet Treats

I will prepare my own pet treats to avoid plastic packaging.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Say No to "Flushable Wipes"

Wipes don't break down in sewer systems, but combine with fat to create massive clogs. I will find alternatives to using disposable wipes.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Swap the Snacks

I will swap out 5 prepackaged snacks a day for fresh fruits or veggies.

COMPLETED 12
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

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Bathroom

Even though they are marketed as "flushable," disposable wipes do not disintegrate in water or the sewer system, and actually release microplastics into our waterways. How does it feel to learn this information? What do you want to do about it?
Carolyn Shirk 7/26/2023 3:24 PM
I am disappointed that these wipes are advertised as flushable, when the opposite is true. I will not be using them!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Bathroom

What is the benefit of using bar soaps or refilling your travel sized containers? Is this an action you think you will keep in your life?
Carolyn Shirk 7/26/2023 3:12 PM
The benefit of refilling travel sized containers is cost and keeping plastic out of our landfills. It costs less to purchase a large container of shampoo, etc. to refill the small bottles.

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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.
Carolyn Shirk 7/21/2023 2:46 PM
The restaurants I visit use cardboard/paper straws instead of the plastic version I used to see, or use lids with a slot to sip instead of a separate straw.

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