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Jess Kohring's avatar

Jess Kohring

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

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,180 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    16
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    90
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    15
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    9.0
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    40
    pounds
    waste avoided
  • UP TO
    39
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    4,596
    minutes
    spent outdoors

Jess's actions

Family + Pets

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

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!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Eco Deodorant

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Meatless Meals

There are many benefits to enjoying meatless meals - including reducing our plastic footprint. Most meats and dairy products are packaged in plastic, so this month, I will reduce my animal product consumption and enjoy 3 vegetarian or vegan meals each day.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

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

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 28
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Kitchen

Choose Unpackaged Produce

I will purchase unpackaged produce at the grocery store or at the farmer's market.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Study

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Bidet All Day

The average American uses about 141 rolls of toilet paper each year, most of which is wrapped in plastic film. To cut down on my toilet paper usage, I will install a bidet in my bathroom.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Sustainable Suds

In the UK, the average person creates 512kg (1,129lbs) of waste in the bathroom over the course of their lifetime - 50% of which ends up in a landfill. As they run out, I will replace my soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions with sustainable, unpackaged, or refillable options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Kitchen

Use Reusable Utensils

Whether I'm at work, on the go, or having food delivered, I will keep 3 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY 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

Kitchen

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden using as little plastic as possible and to save from the plastic used buying herbs and veggies.

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

Kitchen

Start Composting

Composting isn't just good for soil! Composting your food scraps and other organic materials decreases your overall trash output, so you don't have to take the trash out as often and extend the life of your trash bags (i.e. use less plastic!). This month, I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school and avoid sending 1 pounds of food waste to landfill each day.

COMPLETED 12
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
    Study Recycle My Tech
    Besides reusing materials, what are some other environmental, societal, and economical benefits of recycling our old electronics?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:46 PM
    Reducing the impact on habitats and species living in the areas where materials are mined. More equitable distribution of tech across economic brackets.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Plant a Garden
    Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:43 PM
    I love exploring the growth and life cycles with my kids. They are so invested in their plants and LOVE eating the sugar snap peas from the vine. It has become their favorite snack - and it's healthy! Win win.

    • Rachel Haywood's avatar
      Rachel Haywood 7/31/2024 4:45 PM
      Home grown produce often tastes WAY better than from the grocery store, too. I have a tomato plant right now that is just bursting with flavor.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom Clean the Dryer Vent
    When was the last time you cleaned your dryer's air vents? Was it easier or more difficult than you anticipated?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:41 PM
    Easier once I figured out how to do it. It's one of those things that can seem so overwhelming until you do it. Then it's pretty easy to maintain.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom Declutter Sustainably
    Compared to your previous experiences with decluttering, how was this experience with sustainable decluttering different?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:40 PM
    I've become very active in our local Buy Nothing group and it has helped immensely. I used to hang onto things because I didn't want to throw them away but no longer had a use for them. The gift economy has helped me declutter and give things a new chapter with someone else.
  • 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?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:38 PM
    I think people are so bombarded with doom and gloom messages about the environment that they get stuck in feeling overwhelmed. The best thing I can do is lead by example. Recommend/gift the things that I use that I love and encourage others to do the same. Highlight the reduced packaging in the conversation.

    • Mackenzie Blevins's avatar
      Mackenzie Blevins 7/31/2024 4:39 PM
      I love trying to advocate using an entire product before buying a new one to try. This seems simple but can greatly reduce the volume that you buy!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom Eco Deodorant
    Do some research on the toxic side affects of aluminum deodorant. After reading the side effects, can you think of instances where you may have experienced the side effects from this form of deodorant?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:36 PM
    Definitely in my teens. I made the switch many years ago and my body regulates so much better now.

    • Krystina Jarvis's avatar
      Krystina Jarvis 8/01/2024 8:10 AM
      I used to use exclusively Secret Clinical Strength. It took me a while to find a natural deodorant that worked well for me, but now that I have it, I find that I actually don't sweat nearly as much as I used to and it doesn't smell as bad, either. It's so interesting!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom Travel Toiletries
    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?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:35 PM
    It makes it so much easier to travel and the bar soaps are less messy. I can put them directly in my carry-on and refilling containers means that everything is super easy to get ready. No reading labels or bottle sizes.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Choose Unpackaged Produce
    Why do you think these produce products started amassing so much plastic packaging? Who is the plastic packaging really serving -- the consumer, the producer, or someone else?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:33 PM
    It's serving the plastic producers, right? Definitely not serving anyone else.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Study Buy Only What I Need
    As you have reduced your spending, what have you noticed about your 'health and safety' purchasing habits? How might this change your longer term purchasing decisions?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:32 PM
    I'm hoping that this will help to limit the impulse buying that occurs online for household things and allows for more reflection. Is this a sustainable version of this thing? Are there better options?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom Sustainable Suds
    What are the economic and personal benefits of switching to bar soap/shampoo/conditioner or refillable bottle options?

    Jess Kohring's avatar
    Jess Kohring 7/31/2024 4:29 PM
    My face bar has lasted almost a year. It saves SO MUCH money and is super easy to travel with.