Houston Zoo Teens Reduced Their Plastic Use in November

In November 2020, teens in our Zoo Crew education program participated in a plastic-free challenge. Zoo staff challenged the teens to reduce their plastic usage, as well as get friends and family to take part in the challenge. See some of the initiatives they took part in below!

Spread the Message
Our Zoo Crew posted 92 social media posts on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and WhatsApp sharing messages about Plastic-Free November, encouraging others to take the challenge, and giving tips on how to reduce plastics.

Influenced Others
The teens influenced 29 friends and family to also take part in the challenge. They even got their environmental science clubs and school newspaper classmates involved!

Refused Plastic Bags
By using reusable bags or choosing paper bags, 53 single-use plastic bags were kept out of our waterways and wildlife habitats, helping save animals in the wild.

Tried DIY
Our Zoo Crew teens reduced plastic packaging by making their own products like bread, granola bars, apple crisps, and even sanitary products!

Cooked Plastic-Free Meals
Two fully, plastic-free meals were prepared using ingredients that come in plastic-free packaging.

Cleaned-up Their Environment
Zoo Crew participated in a neighborhood park clean up to remove plastic waste from the environment.

Made the Switch
Zoo Crew made the switch to products without plastic or plastic packaging like shampoo and conditioner bars, bamboo toothbrushes, cat litter in cardboard boxes, and plastic-free makeup brushes.

We’re so proud of all the amazing wildlife-saving actions these teens have taken within their communities. By reducing their plastic use and influencing their friends and family to do the same, they are saving animals like sea turtles, otters, and pelicans in the wild. We now challenge you to reduce your plastics usage. To learn more about how you can do this, visit the Zoo’s Take Action page.