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Leah Wacks's avatar

Leah Wacks

Akron Zoo

"To contribute to a sustainable future through conscious choices and meaningful actions in the goal of protect our natural world."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 849 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    29
    low-plastic meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    93
    plastic items
    avoided
  • UP TO
    1.0
    artist
    supported
  • UP TO
    2.0
    low-plastic businesses
    supported
  • UP TO
    2.0
    bags of litter
    collected
  • UP TO
    42
    ideas
    shared
  • UP TO
    5.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    4.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    160
    minutes
    spent learning

Leah's actions

First Steps: Start with You

Swap one product for a refillable or plastic-free option

Even small swaps can add up to big impact. I will replace one product I use regularly — like soap, cleaning spray, or snacks — with a refillable or plastic-free version.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Track my plastic use for a day or a week

Awareness is the first step toward change. I’ll track how much plastic I use in a day (or week), paying attention to packaging, food containers, and single-use items. I’ll reflect on what surprised me most and what I could do differently.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

First Steps: Start with You

Support businesses with plastic-free or refillable options

Where we spend our money shapes the market. I will support a business that offers plastic-free, low-waste, or refillable products or services.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Give a small gift that helps someone reduce plastic (e.g., tote, bottle, soap bar)

Giving can be an act of change and inspiration. I will give a thoughtful, plastic-free or plastic-reducing gift — like a reusable bag, bottle, or bar soap — to someone in my life and share why I chose it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Start a household challenge to reduce plastic

Change starts at home. I will create a fun challenge with my household — like using no single-use plastic for a day or swapping out a product — to make plastic reduction a shared goal.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

First Steps: Start with You

Put reusables where I'll remember them

Reusables only help if we use them! I will set up a system that helps me remember my reusable bags, bottles, containers, or utensils — whether that means keeping them by the door, in my car, or in my bag.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

First Steps: Start with You

Try one low-plastic meal

From plastic-wrapped produce to takeout containers, food is one of the biggest sources of single-use plastic. I will enjoy one meal using ingredients and tools that minimize plastic packaging — opting for items in aluminum, paper, steel cans, or glass jars instead of plastic. I’ll also use a water refill station instead of single-use bottles to keep the meal as plastic-free as possible.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20 minutes exploring the differences between bioplastics, compostable plastics, and recyclable plastics—and what happens to each at the end of its life.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Lead the Way: Shape Your Community

Teach or learn a skill to extend the life of a product I have

Learning or sharing repair skills can keep useful items in use and out of the landfill. I will teach or learn a skill to extend the life of a product — like sewing, electronic repair, or furniture restoration — and share what I did with my community, workplace, or group to encourage others to do the same.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Level Up: Influence Friends and Family

Swap ideas for reducing plastic with someone close to you

Sharing ideas helps us stay motivated and discover new ways to take action. I will share ideas with friends or family members about ways we each reduce plastic in our lives.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Lead the Way: Shape Your Community

Participate in or organize a community clean up

Plastic pollution is visible in many communities. I will take part in or organize a cleanup event to remove litter, raise awareness, and spark conversations about how plastic ends up in our environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lead the Way: Shape Your Community

Start a plastic reduction conversation at school, work, or a community group

Big changes often begin with one bold conversation. I will bring up the topic of reducing plastic at school, work, or in a group I’m part of, planting the seed for collective action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Lead the Way: Shape Your Community

Put up a sign or note about reducing plastic at a shared space (kitchen, dorm, office)

Visual cues can inspire action in shared spaces. I will place a friendly sign or reminder in a common area — like a kitchen, bathroom, or office — to encourage less plastic use and spark conversation. I’ll include a clear, specific call to action so people know exactly how to take the next step.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Change the Game: Shift Systems and Policies

Switch to investments that avoid fossil fuels and plastics

Where we put our money matters. I will research and invest in companies, funds, or assets that avoid investing in fossil fuels and plastic production, aligning my finances with my values.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Change the Game: Shift Systems and Policies

Support an artist working for plastics reduction

Art can shift mindsets and spark movements. I will support a local or global artist using their work to raise awareness about plastic pollution — by purchasing, promoting, or sharing their art and message.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Share My Why

Share My Why

I will share my Ecochallenge story and why I'm taking action for the planet — and earn 15 points!

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed


  • Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/16/2025 6:19 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    Not Plastic, but don't forget about the Gadgets for Gibbons this Saturday that is a sustainable way to recycle electronics!

  • Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/14/2025 7:38 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    It is so inspiring to see everyone on our team working so hard to make little changes! Little changes, bit by bit make all the difference! Go team Akron Zoo!!! I'm so proud of y'all!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Change the Game: Shift Systems and Policies
    What drew you to this artist or project, and how does their work influence how people think or feel about plastic? Share their work in the feed!

    Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/11/2025 11:43 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    Found the artist at the local farmer's market/craft fair and they were using recycled items to make new art! They took old plastic toys and were turning them into robot statues! So cute and clever!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Level Up: Influence Friends and Family
    What new ideas or perspectives came up in your conversation? Did anything surprise or challenge you? Did anyone share ways they reduce plastics with you? If so, post the new ideas in the feed!

    Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/11/2025 11:42 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    My Friend was very resistant to switching to reusable bags because they struggle with the remembering to bring them, plus the bags taking up space when they had limited storage, I brought up foldable bags or ones that can be stuffed in to smaller sacks so that they fit in a purse or can be hung from a bag without taking up as much space.

    • Brandon Regan's avatar
      Brandon Regan 7/13/2025 9:18 AM
      • Book Lover 📚
      That's a great point! I more recently started using reusable bags for grocery shopping and it can be tough to establish the habit of bringing them in the store. I have to start establishing that muscle memory!

  • Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/11/2025 10:47 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    Shopping at the Farmer's market and bringing my own bags has really helped me cut down on how much plastic I need each week. Almost nothing from the market is packaged in plastic if I bring my own bags!
  • 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?

    Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/09/2025 7:33 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    There is a lot of talk but not a lot of actions about making our waste systems more sustainable. Especially when poverty is calculated in there are many blocks to having access to green options. In the Akron area, you can pay to recycle glass, but it is an extra cost, same for composting meaning most people don't have it. The rest is so hard to really know what can go in recycling that most waste is just ending up in landfills.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    First Steps: Start with You
    What does this meal reveal about how deeply plastic is built into our food systems — and what needs to change?

    Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/09/2025 6:23 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    Ordering food from anywhere it is nearly impossible to not have the food come in or with some kind of plastic. Making a point to ask for food to not come in a plastic bag or to please leave out plastic utensils helps. In a perfect world, we would ask for a bag or utensils if we really need some. Plus making compostable bags & utensils the norm instead of special would also help reduce how much plastic waste is constantly thrown out.

    • Brandon Regan's avatar
      Brandon Regan 7/13/2025 9:20 AM
      • Book Lover 📚
      I was very fortunate when I was at OSU. They offered biodegradable packaging for most of their food and any plastic used could be recycled. Nowadays, my best bet is to purchase food fresh from my local grocer and cook at home. It can cost a bit more than the big box stores, but I also find I spend less on snacky junk food than I used to.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    First Steps: Start with You
    What patterns did you notice in your plastic use — and what would it take to shift one of them?

    Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/09/2025 6:19 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    Convenience and speed lead to most use of plastic toss aways. Trying to plan ahead, such as keeping silverware in my car, or pre-making food so I don't have to lean into using what comes with food that I buy on the go definitely makes a difference.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    First Steps: Start with You
    What routines or habits help you remember to use reusables, and what challenges have you run into?

    Leah Wacks's avatar
    Leah Wacks 7/03/2025 6:27 AM
    • Educator 🧠
    Keeping reusable shopping bags in my car, help me to remember to bring them into the store. Then placing them on the door handle of my way out helps me remember to put them back in the car for the next time. The biggest thing is getting into the routine so that it becomes the normal.