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Jose Egurbide's avatar

Jose Egurbide

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

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 475 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    2.0
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    95
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    5.0
    pounds
    waste avoided
  • UP TO
    208
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    conversation
    with a person
  • UP TO
    585
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    10
    minutes
    spent learning

Jose's actions

Bedroom

Declutter Sustainably

While it can be tempting to throw away (or drop off at Goodwill) any and everything that no longer brings us joy, there are so many options that are better for the planet! This month, I will declutter my home and properly dispose or re-home the things I no longer want.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Travel Toiletries

Travel-size toiletries aren't just more expensive per ounce, they also have a higher plastic-to-contents ratio, and result in over 980 tonnes (2.2 million pounds) of plastic waste each year. If traveling this month, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Learn about Environmental Justice

Using the action resource links below, my family will spend 60 minutes learning about environmental justice, causes of environmental injustice, and how plastic waste disproportionately impacts already vulnerable communities.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Clean the Dryer Vent

Every time we tumble dry our laundry, our clothes' lifespans get a little shorter. The lint trap is evidence of the shedding fibers and our clothes slowly losing their quality. The less time our clothes need to be in the dryer, the longer they'll last. So this month, I will clean my dryer's interior and exterior air vents to help the dryer work more efficiently (and extend the life of the dryer!).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Fill a Water Bottle

Bottled water corporations make plastic bottles, not water. If the tap water in my area is safe for consumption, I will use a reusable bottle instead and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 8 disposable plastic bottles a day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Embrace Imperfection

Eliminating 100% of all plastic from our lives simply isn't possible. Throughout this month, I will embrace imperfection in my plastic-free journey while exploring and testing new ways to reduce my plastic footprint.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

A Greener Shower

Most conventional shower curtain liners are made from polyvinyl chloride (or PVC), which contains chlorine, phthalates, and plasticizers, and typically need replaced often. When it's time to replace my shower curtain liner, I will replace it with a plastic-free option and research the best ways to care for it.

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

Kitchen

Use The Dishwasher

Using your dishwasher doesn't just save water! I will use my dishwasher whenever possible to extend the life of my sponges and dish cloths, and shed less microfibers from them.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Give Some Green Gratitude

Don't forget to celebrate the good! This month, I will give shout-outs on social media, my office's internal communication channels, or the Participant Feed to a local company, coworker, friend, or family member for their sustainable efforts.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Use Reusable Utensils

Whether I'm at work, on the go, or having food delivered, I will keep 01 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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 120 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Use a Reusable Mug

Even just one to-go coffee or tea a week adds up to 52 trashed cups in a year! I will avoid sending 1 disposable cups to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or travel cup.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Bathroom

Share my "why"

I will record a 15-20 second video sharing why I am taking action for the planet.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Thrifty Pets

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Family + Pets

Use What You Have

The only thing worse than a single-use item is a zero-use item! I will use (and use up) what I already have in my home before buying something new.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

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 That Was a Close Shave
    What have you noticed about the economic and social impact of switching to steel razors? Was there ever really a need for disposable razors, or do you think it was just a way to sell more things?

    Jose Egurbide's avatar
    Jose Egurbide 7/15/2024 12:11 PM
    I've never been a fan of disposable razors. The blades are clearly thinner and dull quite easily, sometimes on the very first shave. Steel razors can last quite a long time and, when I consider one steel razor blade gives me the equivalent of 15-18 disposable blade shaves, it results in a significant longterm decrease of disposable plastic razors ending up in a landfill.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Use The Dishwasher
    Although the dishwasher saves time and water, some people enjoy washing dishes by hand for the mindfulness practice it can provide. What are some other ways you can practice mindfulness in the kitchen?

    Jose Egurbide's avatar
    Jose Egurbide 7/15/2024 12:02 PM
    Slow down and focus your attention, sight and senses on appreciating the food you have, being mindful of what ingredients and foods you are putting in your body and practicing mindful eating.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom Multiple Wears Before Washing
    In addition to helping clothes last longer, washing clothes less frequently also saves water by running the washing machine less often. As the climate and water situations change, what are some other ways both your household and our community could become more resilient?

    Jose Egurbide's avatar
    Jose Egurbide 7/08/2024 9:59 AM
    In addition to saving water by washing clothes less often, less trips to the dry cleaner not only helps your suits last longer, you are also saving money while helping the environment.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom A Greener Shower
    PVC is found in much more than just our shower curtain liners, and has wide-reaching environmental and social justice impacts across the globe. Investigate the impacts of PVC on people and planet. What information did you find, and what surprised you the most?

    Jose Egurbide's avatar
    Jose Egurbide 7/08/2024 9:53 AM
    Here is what surprised me the most about PVC: It is so hard to recycle that most recycling facilities and packagers and consumer brands are calling for it to be entirely phased out of use! Additionally, small fragments of PVC (and additives that are used to help PVC perform better) can harm our fish and wildlife when they end up in the ocean or in our lakes and release harmful toxins.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Fill a Water Bottle
    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?

    Jose Egurbide's avatar
    Jose Egurbide 7/08/2024 9:44 AM
    We can advocate for those who have been harmed by bottling processes by being more selective in the bottling companies we choose to partner with. We replaced buying plastic bottles of water at Costco with a Sparkletts water dispenser because it reduces plastics while partnering with a company whose goals include diversity, a focus on fundamental human rights, and measurable actions like a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and their support for the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act.