Hannah Hawthorne

Your voice matters! Help us improve the One Healthcare Ecochallenge by taking our survey, available starting April 23rd.

I will keep 10 disposable cup(s) and/or bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle, cup, or mug.

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 recycle 2 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 Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

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

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

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 commit to dedicating 60 minutes to exploring my organization's quality improvement resources and examining how quality improvement methodologies can support sustainability projects.

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

I will adopt a diet free of refined sugars, which eliminates sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.