Nicholas Kole

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 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 replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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

I will purchase produce and/or meat from a local farmers market or food co-op to make 5 locally-sourced meals.

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.

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 will keep 4 forks, spoons, and/or knives from entering the landfill by using reusable utensils when eating at work.

I will work from home 1 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

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

I commit to dedicating 10 minutes to exploring my organization's quality improvement resources and examining how quality improvement methodologies can support sustainability projects.

I will recycle 4 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.

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 avoid printing 20 pieces of paper by "going digital" and printing double-sided whenever possible.

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

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

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 schedule coffee breaks, lunches, and/or check-in meetings with 1 coworkers to promote connectivity in my workplace.

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

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