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Sam Peterson's avatar

Sam Peterson

San Antonio Zoo Crew

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,565 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    33
    pounds
    waste avoided
  • UP TO
    23
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    458
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    35
    minutes
    spent learning

Sam's 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

Community

Share My Actions

One of the best ways we can create change in our communities is simply by talking about it! This month, I will make my environmental actions visible by sharing about them on my social media networks and the Plastic Free Ecochallenge participant feed.

COMPLETED 22
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 10 minutes outside in nature, and share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the Participant Feed.

COMPLETED 31
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

Bedroom

Rethink Returns

While most stores offer lenient return policies, what actually happens to all of those returns? I will spend 30 minutes learning about what happens to returns and how I can make better purchasing decisions to avoid returns in the future.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Recycling Textiles

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 30 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.

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

Participant Feed


  • Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/31/2024 4:16 PM
    Congratulations to all on another great challenge!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom
    How has learning what happens to returns influenced how you make purchasing decisions?

    Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/30/2024 10:20 AM
    I knew the situation was bad but it's worse than I thought. The solution is to buy less in general (and manufacture less - another kettle of fish!) so I will continue trying to limit consumption to needs only.

  • Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/29/2024 2:40 PM
    Worked on a little make-do-and-mend over the weekend to convert a long-sleeved shirt into something more useable in the Texas heat. The sleeves will be repurposed for cuffs and collar on a future project.

    • Jeanne Poirier's avatar
      Jeanne Poirier 7/29/2024 5:00 PM
      Creative mending/repair sewing of clothes - especially those favorite clothes, is one of my greatest joys.

  • Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/26/2024 12:31 PM
    One more week to go! Time for a strong finish!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community
    There are many pros and cons to social media use in today's society. How can you mindfully use social media as a tool for connection and sharing your values with your community?

    Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/25/2024 10:09 AM
    I stay off social media myself but I appreciate its utility for bringing communities together, educating people, and promoting helpful initiatives like the zero waste movement. The challenge is making sure users have critical thinking skills and know how to spot misinformation. Better regulation would help!

  • Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/23/2024 10:57 AM
    Last night I saw a commercial from the American Plastics Council touting the benefits of chemical recycling. Not falling for that greenwashing, thank you!

  • Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/22/2024 1:25 PM
    To any bakers out there, what is the best alternative to cling film / plastic wrap for wrapping pastry or pie dough when it needs to chill in the refrigerator? Do beeswax wraps or silicone bags work just as well?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community
    Have you noticed a difference in how your community, friends, and family members use plastics since you've shared your own actions?

    Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/19/2024 10:24 AM
    I'm proud that my family has embraced sustainable habits and come to me for tips on reducing waste. They get just as annoyed about the burden disproportionately falling on the consumer instead of the manufacturers.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom
    Compared to your previous experiences with decluttering, how was this experience with sustainable decluttering different?

    Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/18/2024 2:15 PM
    I enjoyed seeing a material improvement in a friend's life first-hand rather than donating items to anonymous places like Goodwill.

  • Sam Peterson's avatar
    Sam Peterson 7/17/2024 2:31 PM
    Due to a wacky schedule today I had a microwave meal for lunch for the first time in years. I was able to recycle most of the packaging and used a regular fork but it was not enjoyable. Definitely incentive to avoid future lunch emergencies!