charelle west

I will spend 15 minutes organizing and deleting unneeded files on my desktop and downloads folder.

Before you dive in, take 2 minutes to share your why: What's motivating you to waste less this sprint? Post it to the feed so you (and the rest of us!) have something to look back on when things get busy.

Businesses take notice when we show support for their sustainable choices—and so do our friends and neighbors. I will write a positive review for and personally recommend a business that offers low-waste, biodegradable, or refillable options to help others discover it and demonstrate that sustainability is valued by customers.

Not sure where to start? Across this sprint, the actions most participants are focusing on fall into three areas: minutes spent learning, pounds of CO2 saved, and plastic items reduced. Browse all five categories, but if you're feeling overwhelmed, look for 🔷 actions tied to these three impacts as your starting point.

A clean community benefits everyone. Each day I am outside, I will pick up 10 pieces of litter daily to keep my community clean and share what I find in the event feed.

Fallen leaves, logs, and brush provide shelter and food for wildlife. I will leave natural features in my yard or community space to help strengthen biodiversity and soil resilience.

The sprint may be ending, but your habits don't have to. Pick 1-2 actions from the past two weeks you want to keep doing, and share your plan in the feed to help it stick.

I will turn off lights, electronics, and appliances when not in use to save energy.

Swapping and sharing resources reduces waste and builds community bonds. I will participate in 10 swaps or sharing activities, like borrowing items, attending or hosting a swap meet, or giving away items I no longer need to support a sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

I will shorten my showers to 5 minutes to save water and reduce energy use - each time saving up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water!

I will choose a secondhand (e.g., thrifted, resold) or refurbished item the next time I shop, instead of buying a new one, to keep valuable resources in use longer.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

I will pack waste-free or low-waste snacks (e.g., fruit, homemade snacks, bulk snacks in reusable containers) when I'm on-the-go, instead of buying individually packaged items.

Being a responsible pet owner means keeping our pets safe from harm and minimizing the impact pets have on wildlife by keeping them indoors, never setting them 'free' into nature, and supervising pets when they are outside to prevent them from hunting or disturbing wild animals. I will spend 15 minutes learning about ways to ensure my pet’s behavior and care practices protect local wildlife and their ecosystems.

Rainwater collection reduces water waste and supports gardens. I will install a rain barrel or collect rainwater to use for outdoor tasks, such as watering plants or cleaning.

Positive reinforcement goes a long way in fostering sustainable change. I will celebrate someone’s effort to reduce waste — whether big or small — by acknowledging their success in the feed or on social media and encouraging them to keep going.

Donating gently used goods not only prevents waste but also strengthens social safety nets. I will donate items at least 5 times through a local shop or drop box in the next two weeks instead of throwing them away.

Reusables only help if we use them! I will set up a system that helps me remember my reusable bags, bottles, containers, or utensils — whether that means keeping them by the door, in my car, or in my bag.