Laura Senchak

The Florida Aquarium

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
542 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

plastic footprint

calculated
UP TO

445

minutes

spent learning

Laura's actions

First Steps: Start with You

Understand Plastic’s Impact on My Health

Plastics can leach harmful chemicals into food, water, and the air we breathe. I will spend 10 minutes learning about the health impacts of plastic exposure and explore safer swaps — like choosing glass or stainless steel over plastic for food storage and drinking water.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

First Steps: Start with You

Understand plastic labels

Those recycling numbers and symbols can be confusing. I will spend 10 minutes learning what different plastic labels mean, including what can and can’t be recycled, to make more informed choices when I shop.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Change the Game: Shift Systems and Policies

Learn about policies that support reducing plastics

Policy is one of the most powerful tools for reducing plastic waste at scale. I will spend 10 minutes learning about current or proposed plastic-related policies, such as bans on single-use plastics or extended producer responsibility laws, to better understand how systems can change.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Share My Why

Take the Beyond Plastic Ecochallenge Feedback Survey

I will take a short survey about my experience to help the Ecochallenge team improve future events, earn a chance to win a prize, and earn 15 points!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Estimate My Plastic Consumption

Understanding my plastic footprint is a powerful first step toward making change. I will complete a short online plastic calculator, like the one from rePurpose Global, to estimate my annual plastic use and explore ways to reduce it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Discover the difference between bioplastics, compostable plastics, and recyclable plastics

Not all “eco-friendly” plastics are created equal. I will spend 10 minutes exploring the differences between bioplastics, compostable plastics, and recyclable plastics—and what happens to each at the end of its life.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Lead the Way: Shape Your Community

Learn about community-level options to reduce plastic

Widespread change starts with local action and community innovation. I will spend 10 minutes learning about programs or initiatives in my area that reduce plastic use, such as third-party sanitization services, repair cafes, food gleaning, lending libraries, bulk or thrift stores, bans on single-use items, or zero-waste businesses.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

What do you think the confusion around plastic labels says about our waste systems — and how could they be improved? What role do you think clear labeling should play in helping people make better choices — and who should be responsible for that?
Laura Senchak 7/27/2025 5:06 AM
- Educator 🧠
The confusion I see or hear is mostly because the citizens aren’t invested enough to do better. Unless your county puts out specifics with recycling that’s easy for people to understand, people either throw everything in recycling or just trash it all. If citizens don’t read the signs with rules for recycling, anything goes for them. I feel like in my area, the county explains it well, the citizens just need to do their duty of understanding better.

In the condo community I live in, we have a recycling dumpster to put recyclables in. There is a flyer posted in our common area to tell what should and should not be recycled. At the school I teach, we recycle a little differently, just paper, plastic bottles, and metal cans, no glass.

With things being posted to help us understand, it seems easy to do the right thing.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

Did your estimated plastic footprint surprise you? How does it compare to the global average? After estimating your annual use, how did it feel to put a number on it? Did it inspire a sense of urgency, or something else?
Laura Senchak 7/23/2025 4:24 AM
- Educator 🧠
I estimated my footprint and it was above average. I have a bad habit of stopping for an iced coffee or getting something quick to eat. I also get a lot of meals that are quick to heat up and eat.

Putting a number on it is eye-opening and is making more conscious about my decisions. I like to order ahead on apps and that doesn’t give opportunities to take in reusable cups.

Now that I found a favorite way to make iced coffee at home, I’ll buy less and have more homemade.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

How do these different materials shift your sense of what’s truly “sustainable” — and what’s just marketing? Are bioplastics accepted by your city's waste management?
Laura Senchak 7/21/2025 8:14 AM
- Educator 🧠
Some plastics are marketed as economically friendly, but you have to research to see if that really is the case. I find that I am always too trusting in the people who market things that are sustainable. I trust that they are like everyone who truly wants to help the environment. In reality though, it’s a marketing scheme. You have to look at the labels and understand what the container is made of to see if it’s really eco-friendly. Reading this has shifted my sense of what is truly sustainable.

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- Jeff Lancaster 7/21/2025 9:09 AM
  
  Community Builder 🤝
  Was recognizing that some companies indicate recyclable when actually will be rejected by recyclers. Also, some companies do not say a container is recyclable when it actually could be.
  
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- Shae Rutherford 7/21/2025 9:05 AM
  I definitely agree. You always have to do your own research to confirm (or not) whether items are really as sustainable as they're said to be. Sometimes companies mean well and are misinformed, or new information has come out. But often appearing to be committed to green practises is just trendy or beneficial for them in some way, unfortunately. At least, I do feel better once I know for sure how sustainable I feel a given product is.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
First Steps: Start with You

What surprised you the most about the health impacts of plastic exposure, and how might this new understanding influence the choices you make around food storage and everyday products?
Laura Senchak 7/17/2025 6:03 PM
- Educator 🧠
I have been learning about microplastics and how harmful they are to health. Plastic is broken down but is always there. It makes me think about how I store my food, I have glass containers that I will use more. Also with drinking, I have reusable water bottles that are not plastic. They keep your water cooler longer and it’s better for your health to use the stainless steel. The articles get you thinking.

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