Brandy Starkweather

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 adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

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

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

How can you personally help address climate change? Complete the climate action venn diagram at ayanaelizabeth.com/climatevenn and share your climate action in the feed.

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

I will spend 20 minutes learning about what medical device reprocessing is and how it works, including whether my organization has a program, and if so, which items it collects.

I will only use disinfectants where recommended and required by my organization's Infection Prevention and Control department.

I will promote a positive environment and uplift others by performing 2 random act(s) of kindness.

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

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

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

I will purchase produce and/or meat from a local farmers market or food co-op to make 1 locally-sourced meals.

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.

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

I will spend 20 minutes learning about the environmental footprint of the healthcare industry, how it impacts health, and ways I can help reduce it.

I will make 5 new healthcare connections at my workplace or beyond to learn from my peers, share best practices, and see if there are opportunities for collaboration.

I will recognize 5 colleague(s) for their sustainability efforts on our team feed, in-person, by email, and/or through my organization's recognition platforms.

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.

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

I will recycle 5 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 keep 3 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 schedule coffee breaks, lunches, and/or check-in meetings with 2 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 attend monthly All Together Better Champion meetings as well as share important well-being content with my colleagues!

Check out the Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN page to find case studies and resources.

Check out the Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN page to find case studies and resources.

Read up on pollinators and pollinator habitat. Get tips and access to resources on how to transform your home environment into a pollinator haven.