Stacy Besonen

Allina Health's sustainability program is one important way we support the people we serve by minimizing the impact of our physical footprint. Check out our Climate Action Plan on the AKN which will fulfill our pledge to: reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and engage with staff and our community to promote climate education and encourage action.

Check out the Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN page to find case studies and resources.

Check out the Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN page to find case studies and resources.

I attend monthly All Together Better Champion meetings as well as share important well-being content with my colleagues!

Read up on pollinators and pollinator habitat. Get tips and access to resources on how to transform your home environment into a pollinator haven.

I commit to dedicating 30 minutes to exploring my organization's quality improvement resources and examining how quality improvement methodologies can support sustainability projects.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 15 minutes learning about which items are recyclable both at my workplace and at home since they may be different, and recycle only those items.

I pledge to take one action that improves the sustainability of my organization in 2025. It can be an action from this challenge or another action that improves resource stewardship.

I will spend 30 minutes learning about greenwashing and how to avoid it.

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

I will avoid sending food waste to the landfill by composting my food scraps.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will recycle 5 items at work and/or at home each day, making sure I review recycling program guidelines and only place accepted items that are clean, empty, and dry in the recycling bin.

I will keep 3 forks, spoons, and/or knives from entering the landfill by using reusable utensils when eating at work.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will save up to 4 gallons (15 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

Lighting makes up approximately 10% of hospitals' energy use on average. I will save energy by turning off unnecessary lights when not in use and when I am the last one to leave a space.

I will turn my computer monitor(s) off at my work station when not in use to save energy (I will follow my organization's IT instructions for keeping on, turning off, or restarting computers).

I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will spend 30 minutes learning about how indoor air quality impacts health and commit to taking one action to improve indoor air quality in my living space.

I will repair an item, such as clothing or an appliance, for myself, a friend, family member, or neighbor.

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

I will enjoy 5 meatless meal(s) and/or vegan meal(s) each day this week.

I will work from home 2 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

I will schedule coffee breaks, lunches, and/or check-in meetings with 5 coworkers to promote connectivity in my workplace.

I will select a greener option when purchasing supplies, such as products that have environmental certifications, less packaging, or other environmental attributes, or come from local vendors.

I will prevent water from being wasted by reporting one or more leaky faucets, toilets, or other water leaks to my organization's facilities team for repair.