Detroit Zoological Society

Our guests provide so many opportunities for trash pick up! :)

Taking care of our planet is a life style, not a one month challenge. Let us continue and expand our actions to improve everyone’s life style!

The hardest part of this challenge is having the time to check in on a daily or even a weekly basis. That said, the best part of plastic free July is that we are learning new ways to add to the ways we were already practicing to avoid single use plastic that becomes plastic pollution. And learning new ways to reuse, repurpose, and recycle...

I thought I had a much smaller impact than the score I received. Always more work to do!

Road snacks are always a must for road trips. We plan ahead when we go grocery shopping so that we can avoid additional costs, stops, and plastic!

It works best when I have only a few dishes, but it's a pretty easy transition.

I use a bucket in the shower to catch water as it heats up for showers, and then use it to water plants. I save water from boiling potatoes and pasta to water plants. I was clothes in cold water and use washing sheets. I have dryer balls to reduce static cling and to reduce dry time when I do need to dry clothes. It all adds up!

I do not have an inventory of single-use plastics, however I try to purchase items in glass or paper whenever possible. I also use my reusable produce bags to help eliminate the need for a plastic bag when picking those items.

It can be really tricky to buy produce without plastic, when that's all that is offered. I've been eating lots of melons, mangos, and pineapple, since they aren't sold in bags. Apples are sometimes sold individually, and I have reusable produce bags for them.

I'm still figuring out bread recipes that work for me. It feels good to make my own bread, even if they aren't all winners.