Charles Schmitt

I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home or dorm room.

I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance, or someone who I may disagree with in at least 2 conversations.

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 5 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will spend at least 10 minutes using the resources provided to learn about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 4 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

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 use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

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