Joseph Hardaker

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water a day or 330 gallons (1,230 L) a month by installing a toilet tank bank.

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

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, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

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 take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Earth Month Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

I will calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce my negative impact on the environment.