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Erica Aghevli's avatar

Erica Aghevli

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

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 770 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    2.2
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    26
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    5.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    265
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    50
    minutes
    spent learning

Erica's actions

Study

Print in Draft Mode

To extend the life of my ink cartridges, I will set my printer default to draft mode to use less ink or toner per print job.

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

Recycle My Tech

There's value in our old electronics! This month, I will properly recycle any old laptops, tablets, cell phones, or other electronics I have lying around so the raw materials can be reused and reduce demand for virgin materials - thereby also protecting critical wildlife habitat for animals such as gorillas and forest elephants.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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

Kitchen

Clean Plate Club

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Take Out Pro

When I'm ordering takeout, I will bring my own containers for the restaurant to fill.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Fight Local Food Waste

Who says saving money and saving the planet don't go together? Using an app like Too Good To Go or Flashfood, I'll help rescue food from local bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores that would otherwise go to waste.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Kitchen

Shop the Bulk Bins

I will purchase dry goods from the bulk section of my grocery store, and I will use my own containers whenever possible (cloth bags, mason jars, even reused Ziploc bags will do!). When it's not possible to use my own containers, I will wash and reuse the containers offered by the store.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Kitchen

Take the pre-survey!

Help us make the Plastic Free Ecochallenge the best it can be! Take the challenge pre-survey (and look out for the post-survey at the end of the challenge!) so we can better understand the impact the challenge has and how we can improve in the future. Plus, you'll earn points for completing it! Thank you!

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Complete a Waste Audit

I will conduct a waste audit of my trash and recycling to understand how much waste I create and create a plan for where I can reduce the most.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Catch Those Microfibers

When we wash our clothes, the heat and friction causes our clothes to wear down, releasing microfibers into the water stream. To combat and prevent these microfibers as much as possible, in addition to following best laundry practices, I will use a microfiber catcher in my laundry, or install a microfiber filter for my washing machine.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Go For a Walk

Science has shown that focused time in nature calms our over-worked frontal lobe and gives space for the areas of our brain associated with emotions, pleasure, and empathy to take over, providing a sense of calm that is measurable in brain scans and even blood tests. Each day this month, I will spend 60 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Family + Pets

Thoughtful Toys

I will only buy cloth, wooden or plant-based natural rubber toys. Or make our own toys from recycled items found in our home!

COMPLETED
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 20 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Multiple Wears Before Washing

The simple, necessary, daily act of washing our clothes slowly degrades the quality of our clothes due to the friction involved in the process. To extend the life of my clothes, whenever possible, I will wear items multiple times before washing.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Green Beauty

Globally, packaging manufacturers make about $25 billion each year on plastic beauty and personal care packaging. That's a whole lot of plastic - nearly all of which ends up in landfills. When it's time to buy more, I will replace my beauty products with refillable, sustainable, and/or DIY options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Pearly Whites

Nearly all toothpaste tubes are made from multiple layers of different types of plastic and aluminum, making them impossible to recycle and destined for landfill. When it's time to replace my current toothpaste, I will replace it with a plastic-free option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

That Was a Close Shave

Who says we need 5 blades and a ribbon of shaving cream on every $5 razor blade cartridge, when a single blade causes less irritation and costs 92% less? This month, I will replace my disposable razors with steel razors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Plastic Free TP

Most toilet paper is wrapped in plastic #4, or low-density polyethylene - a thin plastic film that cannot be recycled back into more plastic film. To avoid this plastic wrapping, I will purchase toilet paper wrapped in paper instead, or use a reusable toilet paper option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom Green Beauty
    How can you advocate for the importance of reducing packaging to the rest of your friends, family and larger community?

    Erica Aghevli's avatar
    Erica Aghevli 7/31/2024 3:26 PM
    I extol the virtues of bar soap to anyone who will suffer to hear me. There are endless choices, and many come with zero packaging, or paper/cardboard alone. You can even do your household cleaning with bar soap (like our forebears did) and ditch all the plastic bottles.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study Follow the Chasing Arrows
    Recycling right requires both systemic change and personal and community awareness. How can you expand what you've learned about the chasing arrows symbol to encourage broader changes in your community?

    Erica Aghevli's avatar
    Erica Aghevli 7/31/2024 3:20 PM
    Recycling services vary greatly by community. I've printed out guides from our recycling plant to place by our bins so everyone in the family can see what does and doesn't go into the recycle bin.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Go For a Walk
    What have you noticed about your mental and/or physical health while going on daily walks? How has it affected other areas of your life?

    Erica Aghevli's avatar
    Erica Aghevli 7/31/2024 3:17 PM
    Daily walks are vitalizing. You're never alone in nature, and there's nature everywhere outside.