Karmen Howard

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

I will keep 5 disposable cup(s) and/or bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle, cup, or mug.

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

I will read the Ecochallenge feed each day and comment on posts by people who I don't know, but whose content inspires or interests me.

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will promote a positive environment and uplift others by performing 1 random act(s) of kindness.

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

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

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

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).

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