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Andrea Z.'s avatar

Andrea Z.

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

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 365 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    96
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Andrea's actions

Bedroom

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Bathroom

A Greener Shower

Most conventional shower curtain liners are made from polyvinyl chloride (or PVC), which contains chlorine, phthalates, and plasticizers, and typically need replaced often. When it's time to replace my shower curtain liner, I will replace it with a plastic-free option and research the best ways to care for it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Bathroom

Plastic Free TP

Most toilet paper is wrapped in plastic #4, or low-density polyethylene - a thin plastic film that cannot be recycled back into more plastic film. To avoid this plastic wrapping, I will purchase toilet paper wrapped in paper instead, or use a reusable toilet paper option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Kitchen

Save Jars for Reuse

Pinterest may want you to think that you need a cupboard full of matching mason jars, but reusing what we already have is one of the best ways to reduce our waste. This month, instead of recycling glass jars (such as pasta sauce, pickles, and salsa jars), I will save them to reuse for food storage.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Kitchen

Use The Dishwasher

Using your dishwasher doesn't just save water! I will use my dishwasher whenever possible to extend the life of my sponges and dish cloths, and shed less microfibers from them.

COMPLETED 6
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
    Bathroom Plastic Free TP
    Inquiring minds wanna know... Are you a scruncher or a folder?

    Andrea Z.'s avatar
    Andrea Z. 7/31/2024 5:41 PM
    A scruncher, most of the time.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Bedroom 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"?

    Andrea Z.'s avatar
    Andrea Z. 7/31/2024 5:40 PM
    When we use things we already own, we treat them with more care and consideration. Also, sometimes when I reuse a purse after a long time, I almost feel like its new again, and enjoy using it as much as I did when I first bought it.

    • Gretchen Lira's avatar
      Gretchen Lira 7/31/2024 5:43 PM
      Isn't that the best feeling?! I love when I find a purse in the depths of my closet that I haven't used in a year or more. It's like getting a present.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Save Jars for Reuse
    What's the most creative way you've reused a jar in your home?

    Andrea Z.'s avatar
    Andrea Z. 7/31/2024 5:38 PM
    I like to reuse jars to make sun tea. I've also reused jars for sprouting seeds and legumes. In the past, I've reused jars for crafts. Once I used a jar to make a candle holder for Halloween
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Kitchen Use The Dishwasher
    Although the dishwasher saves time and water, some people enjoy washing dishes by hand for the mindfulness practice it can provide. What are some other ways you can practice mindfulness in the kitchen?

    Andrea Z.'s avatar
    Andrea Z. 7/31/2024 5:36 PM
    I like to practice mindfulness when I chop vegetables for a soup or salad. I also practice mindfulness in the kitchen (or at least try to) when I sweep or mop the floor.

  • Andrea Z.'s avatar
    Andrea Z. 7/31/2024 5:33 PM
    I have had some challenges even though I do some of the actions already, like reuse jars in my kitchen and use kitchen scraps to make broth. But there are some things I have to buy, such as soy milk, that come in disposable containers. And I'm not sure how to find toothpaste that comes in easily recycled containers, although I already use natural toothpaste.