Karen Hauser

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, including electronics and metals.

I will spend 30 minutes finding out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

I will replace 6 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

I will plan ahead to use paper products only made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions, and opting out of junk mail.

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 avoid buying and using 2 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

I will set up or join a recycling program at my workplace or school.

I will watch Drawdown’s Climate Solutions 101 and share what I learned with others.