Beth Mitchell

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

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 keep 10 forks, spoons, and/or knives from entering the landfill by using reusable utensils when eating at work.

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.

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.