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Robin Nelson's avatar

Robin Nelson

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 600 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    27
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    35
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    13
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    8.0
    pieces of plastic cutlery
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    35
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    30
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Robin's actions

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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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 2 disposable cups to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or travel cup.

COMPLETED 13
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 2 disposable plastic bottles a day.

COMPLETED 30
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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Is it trash...or a trash bag?

The plastic industry has convinced us that some plastic bags are "trash bags," while others are just "trash." Instead of throwing empty bags away (such as bread bags, pet food bags, etc.), I will reuse them as trash bags.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Go Strawless

Each year, the International Coastal Cleanup reports that plastic straws and stirrers are one of the Top 10 most-collected items from their cleanups (top 5 in the US!). I will keep 2 plastic straws and/or stirrers out of the landfill each day by refusing straws or using my own reusable straw.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

In addition to refusing and reducing my consumption of single-use plastics, I will pick up 19 piece(s) of litter each day of the Plastic Free Ecochallenge.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Skip Plastic Bags

Whenever possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags. I will either use my own reusable bags, or keep my items loose.

COMPLETED 11
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
    Kitchen Is it trash...or a trash bag?
    It's only "single-use" if it's only used once! What are some other creative ways to reuse unavoidable "single-use" items?

    Robin Nelson's avatar
    Robin Nelson 7/20/2024 6:25 AM
    Was happy to be offered option of bagless when doing walmart pick up order. Took my own reused boxes.

    • Mackenzie Blevins's avatar
      Mackenzie Blevins 7/20/2024 10:02 AM
      I use zip lock bags and tinfoil many times as ways to store food scraps and other things in my freezer, so that I don't have to toss them after one use.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Skip Plastic Bags
    It can be easy to forget to bring your reusable bags to the store with you - especially if you're going somewhere besides the grocery store. What are your favorite ways to remember your reusable bags?

    Robin Nelson's avatar
    Robin Nelson 7/20/2024 6:22 AM
    Forgot my reusable bags! But avoided using the produce bags. Bags in bags??
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Use Reusable Utensils
    How can you be an advocate for using reusables instead of disposables for the rest of your community? Where are they currently dependent on disposable food packaging or eating utensils, and how can you convince them of the need for change?

    Robin Nelson's avatar
    Robin Nelson 7/20/2024 6:19 AM
    We try to be eco conscious at my church, but for big events with limited help, we do choose disposables. No Styrofoam, no plastic cups, but we do use plastic utensils. As we use up what we have, we will consider the compostable ones like bamboo. Cost is a consideration.

  • Robin Nelson's avatar
    Robin Nelson 7/20/2024 6:11 AM
    I am much more mindful of the ever present plastics.