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Ariana Villanueva's avatar

Ariana Villanueva

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

"To be better than yesterday"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 930 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    35
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    19
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    7.0
    minutes
    spent learning

Ariana's actions

Kitchen

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 30
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 14
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 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

Say No to "Flushable Wipes"

Even when advertised as "flushable" these wipes don't break down in sewer systems, but instead combine with fat to create massive clogs. This month, I will find alternatives to using disposable wipes.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Ditch Dryer Sheets

Plastic sheets coated in softeners, lubricants, and fragrances, dryer sheets just aren't great for the planet or our bodies. Instead, I will use wool dryer balls or another plastic-free alternative to dryer sheets to keep my clothes static-free.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Multiple Wears Before Washing

The simple, necessary, daily act of washing our clothes slowly degrades the quality of our clothes due to the friction involved in the process. To extend the life of my clothes, whenever possible, I will wear items multiple times before washing.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Bedroom

Rethink Returns

While most stores offer lenient return policies, what actually happens to all of those returns? I will spend 60 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

Dive Into Expiration Dates

Just because something is past its "expiration date," it might not actually be expired! I will spend 30 minutes learning about the difference between best by, use by, and sell by dates and how to tell if my food is actually expired.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Bedroom

Mend and Repair

We've all got it - that thing in the back of our closet we keep saying we'll fix "one day." I will make today that day by learning how to mend or repair ripped or broken items in my home - or by finding a local offering to do it for me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bedroom

Proper Clothing Care

All those symbols on our clothes, sheets, and towels actually have meanings! To ensure that I'm caring for my clothes properly, I will spend 5 minutes learning what the care symbols mean and laundry best practices to make all of my textiles last as long as possible.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 Use What You Have
    Besides the economic benefits of using the things we already own, how can this practice impact our lives in other ways and influence the way we interact with "things"?

    Ariana Villanueva's avatar
    Ariana Villanueva 7/31/2024 12:55 PM
    Not only does using things we already own have economic benefits, it also reduces the amount of waste generated for having to procure or purchase new items. When we go out to the store, we often use up gas, have packaging waste, and then end up with another item that might replace or use in addition to another item, causing more waste in the future. Just being intentional will give us that extra pause to think if we really need all this and how it will impact the environment!

    • Alyssa Tyree's avatar
      Alyssa Tyree 7/31/2024 1:06 PM
      I put so much effort into finding the most efficient route to do my errands. Not only to save time, but to save gave and wear on my car.

  • Ariana Villanueva's avatar
    Ariana Villanueva 7/31/2024 12:46 PM
    I wish I could be better but this exercise is making me more aware of my daily actions. Even if I forget to post on the actual day, I become more introspective on my past actions and think of how I can be even better than the day before.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bathroom Say No to "Flushable Wipes"
    Even though they are marketed as "flushable," disposable wipes do not disintegrate in water or the sewer system, and actually release microplastics into our waterways. How does it feel to learn this information? What do you want to do about it?

    Ariana Villanueva's avatar
    Ariana Villanueva 7/24/2024 12:15 PM
    it makes sense but also makes me think twice about things that are marketed to be “environmentally friendly”

  • Ariana Villanueva's avatar
    Ariana Villanueva 7/15/2024 12:01 PM
    some changes are a lot easier to implement and I’m finding it’s easier to reduce plastic waste if we are just a little bit mindful of it- like through these check ins!
  • 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?

    Ariana Villanueva's avatar
    Ariana Villanueva 7/12/2024 12:44 PM
    Leave them in the car or hang them with my keys!