Rose Godfrey

Gorillas are on the line! Will you answer the call? Electronics are connected to gorillas via an ore called Coltan. Coltan is refined into Tantalum which coats capacitors inside e-gadgets and makes them energy efficient. This ore is found in great quantity in the Congo, home to the critically endangered gorilla and chimpanzee. The U.N. has reported that in the past five years the eastern lowland gorilla population in the Congo has declined 90% owing to these mining operations and related poaching of gorillas for bushmeat. Recycling your cell phones helps save these animals by raising funds for gorilla conservation and reducing the demand for Coltan. You can donate your old cell phones, smartphones, ipads, ipods, tablets, GPS, smartwatches, digital cameras and all the cords and cables that come with them. Any condition is fine. A electronics donation box can be found right outside the Zoo's ticket window. BE SURE TO WIPE YOUR DATA AHEAD OF TIME.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Our tax dollars are subsidizing the fossil fuel industry, making the cost of plastics artificially low and encouraging further plastics production. I will spend 5 minutes learning about oil subsidies and how I can advocate for their elimination.

Although a long-standing festive tradition, balloons are harmful for animals and the environment. I will spend 5 learning about the dangers of balloons and find eco-friendly alternatives to use instead.

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!

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.

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 5 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

Conventional deodorant tubes are typically made from plastics #4 and #5, which are rarely accepted for recycling - especially together. When it's time to replace my current deodorant, I will replace it with a plastic-free option.

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.

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

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.

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.

Prioritizing whole foods is one of the most effective ways to avoid single-use plastic in the kitchen, since most whole foods can be purchased without any packaging. This month, I will prepare 1 whole foods-based meals at home each day.

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

Every single textile ever made will, at some point, become worn out - and dealing with that waste costs millions of tax dollars every year. I will spend 5 minutes learning about the different types of textile recycling and creating a plan for what I'll do with my clothes and other textiles when they are too worn out to use anymore.

I will calculate my ecological footprint, and from the results brainstorm and take action on ways I can reduce my annual footprint.

The chasing arrows symbol we associate with recycling doesn't always actually mean something is recyclable. I will spend at least 5 minutes learning the different meanings the symbol can have.

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.

Does your savings account, retirement account, or investment account support the fossil fuel (and plastics) industry? This month, I will spend 5 minutes investigating where my investments (and where my bank's investments) are going, divest from the fossil fuel industry, and reinvest in ways that are more in alignment with my values.

Instead of buying new plastic highlighters, I will simply use colored pencils instead for all of my highlighting needs.

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.

While most stores offer lenient return policies, what actually happens to all of those returns? I will spend 5 minutes learning about what happens to returns and how I can make better purchasing decisions to avoid returns in the future.

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.

Greenwashing can fool even the most experienced eco-advocate. This month, I will spend 5 minutes learning what greenwashing is, how to spot it, and what I can do about it.

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.