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Patricia Hofmeister's avatar

Patricia Hofmeister

Saint Louis Zoo

"My mission is to make this world a better place for my grandchildren."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,426 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    17
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    17
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    1.0
    donation
    made
  • UP TO
    161
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    502
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    182
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Patricia's actions

Community

Raise Money For a Nonprofit

I will raise money to support a nonprofit dedicated to plastic pollution reduction.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Research Local Waste Sites

I will spend 30 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Say No to Styrofoam

Throughout its life cycle, polystyrene (styrofoam) can harm people, communities, and the planet. I will refuse styrofoam whenever I can, making sure to kindly let people know why I'm asking for alternative packaging.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Study

Plastic History Buff

Single-use plastics are everywhere, but that wasn't always the case. I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the history of single-use plastics and how it became ubiquitous in our daily lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Dig into Bioplastics

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching the impacts of bioplastics and how to properly dispose of them in my city, and I will share this information with 1 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

UNCOMPLETED
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

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 60 minutes learning about the costs of fast fashion and begin trying to practice sustainable fashion in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

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

COMPLETED 24
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 25
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?


  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/31/2023 3:41 PM
    I know I will continue with my plastic free goals even though th;is challenge is ending. Congrats to all who really participated in this challenge, especially those who checked in every day.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/26/2023 11:14 AM
    I wanted to share that a few months ago I realized that when I'm emptying the trash from my kitchen into the big trash can, I don't have to add the bag to the trash everytime. Sometimes it doesn't smell bad or have any coffee grounds, etc. Even white kitchen bags can be reused.

    • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
      Patricia Hofmeister 7/28/2023 1:10 PM
      Sam, great idea. I have a friend who volunteers at a food bank and I always give her my paper bags. Now, I will keep a few. Thanks!

    • Sam Peterson's avatar
      Sam Peterson 7/26/2023 2:20 PM
      Nice! If your grocery store uses paper bags, you can use those as bin liners instead of plastic ones, too. I don't even line some of my bins if there's nothing wet going in.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/21/2023 9:54 PM
    It saddens me that my teammates don't even sign in every day.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/15/2023 9:32 AM
    Out of town this weekend visiting our son and new grandson, so not able to complete all my tasks.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/15/2023 9:32 AM
    Out of town this weekend visiting our son and new grandson, so not able to complete all my tasks.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/12/2023 3:48 PM
    I saw a product called Earth Breeze advertised on tv. What caught my attention was the vision of ditch the plastic container which held laundry detergent. I bought and used it on my zoo clothes that I wore yesterday. It was great. It is laundry detergent eco sheets. Comes in a biodegradable container. It can do up to 60 loads. After I fininsh the laundry detergent that I now have, I will only use Earth Breeze. Try it!

    • Katherine  Burgueño 's avatar
      Katherine Burgueño 7/12/2023 6:50 PM
      Saw this and bought some fragrance free ones. Looking forward to getting g them and see how they work.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study Plastic History Buff
    How has learning about the history of single-use plastic shifted your mindset on plastics and their function within society?

    Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/09/2023 12:52 PM
    I see how plastics started out saving elephants and trees and are now harming and even killing marine life and damaging the health of humans. Plastics are not a bad thing if they have multiple uses. It's single use we need to focus on eliminating.
    Makes me wonder about electric cars. Are we creating another major issue? What do we do with lithium batteries? Wind power is causing whales to beach themselves. Sometimes the "cure" is worse than the disease!

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/09/2023 12:44 PM
    Plastics have become essential components of products and packaging because they're durable, lightweight, and cheap. If our reliance on plastics persists, plastics will account for 20% of oil consumption by 2050.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/09/2023 12:41 PM
    But now critics say the marine impact of plastics is only part of the problem. "Plastic pollution is not just an oceans issue. It's a climate issue and it's a human health issue," said Claire Arkin, communications coordinator for the Global Alternatives, a global network aiming to reduce pollution and elinimate waste incineration.

  • Patricia Hofmeister's avatar
    Patricia Hofmeister 7/09/2023 12:37 PM
    In 2015, Texas A&M graduate student recorded a video of her colleagues removing a straw lodged in a turtle's nostril. The video went viral, inspiring people to take action. Since then, "skip the straw, save a turtle" has become a slogan for people determined to decrease their plastics use.