Katie Van Singel

Oklahoma City Zoo

"Trying to return to a new plastic free lifestyle post pandemic!"

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
1,039 Total

Participant Impact

up to

28

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
up to

30

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
up to

15

minutes

spent learning

Katie's Actions

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

See the Green

I will properly recycle used contact lenses and packaging.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Lifestyle

Naked Bins

I will either line my trash cans with repurposed newspaper or paper bags, or I will not line my trash cans at all.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Lifestyle

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Give Some Green Gratitude

I will give a shout-out on social media to a local company, coworker, friend or family member for their plastic free or green efforts.

Completed
One-Time Action

Community

Share My Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible by posting to my social media networks.

Completed
One-Time Action

Community

Estimate My Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral

I will visit the rePurpose website, complete the 3-minute plastic consumption calculator, and explore how I can reBalance my annual plastic footprint.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Say No to Plastic Bags

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Make My Own

I will try new recipe(s) or food preparation method(s) each day, such as canning, pickling, making yogurt, or baking granola bars or bread.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Feed

Katie Van Singel 7/27/2021 3:33 PM

Does anyone have any insight on ways to reduce cup usage at certain restaurants? Today I went to Braum’s for lunch and got a large cup for sweet tea. Unfortunately the larges for drinks are styrofoam, which can’t be recycled. Is there a good way anyone has found to cut back in this area?

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Katie Van Singel 7/12/2021 1:47 PM

Today I went to Sonic and remembered to ask for no straws. The guy handing me my drinks looked at me strangely, but I felt good about being able to ask! Sometimes I find it hard to ask for no straws when someone is helping me out and clearly in a hurry.

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- Amanda A 7/12/2021 2:01 PM
  
  When I have time, I try to ask people if they want the extra things like straws, napkins, receipts, etc. That way, rather than interrupting the flow of the service, I'm already prepared to make that little change - and it makes them stop and think a moment.
  
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Reflection Question
Community Estimate My Plastic Consumption and Go #PlasticNeutral

What did you find out about your plastic consumption by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you?

Katie Van Singel 7/09/2021 4:51 PM

Using the plastic calculator really did give me some perspective on just how much plastic I use, specifically in my bathroom. I use about 61.48 kg of plastic, which is less than the average American, but more than I want to use! I have offset some of my bathroom usage in the past, but there is always room for improvement!

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Katie Van Singel 7/05/2021 8:01 PM

Had a tough time with my tasks in the challenge - forgot a reusable straw and don’t have a cutlery travel set, so I used more plastic than I meant to on a trip today. Tomorrow is a new day, but it helps to be conscious of these things to know where you can improve!

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- Tara Scarberry 7/05/2021 9:25 PM
  
  Don't beat yourself up! Being aware is the first step, and it's not easy to make a huge lifestyle switch right away! You're doing great :)
  
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Katie Van Singel 7/01/2021 4:56 AM

I’m really excited for the Ecochallenge again! I plan on learning how to make some of my own foods to reduce my plastic use. Can’t wait to try some new skills!

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