David Castaneda

I will keep 5 forks, spoons, and/or knives from entering the landfill by using reusable utensils when eating at work.

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

I will work from home 5 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

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

I will spend 5 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 sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

Hand washing dishes can use more energy and hot water than running a full dishwasher. To save water, I will scrape instead of rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, and only run it when it is full.

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 recycle 10 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 enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or vegan meal(s) each day this week.

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 avoid printing 1 pieces of paper by "going digital" and printing double-sided whenever possible.

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

I will spend 10 minutes learning about greenwashing and how to avoid it.

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

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.

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 spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 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 commit to dedicating 5 minutes to exploring my organization's quality improvement resources and examining how quality improvement methodologies can support sustainability projects.

I will replace 8 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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