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Individual and Systemic Actions

Individual Action: We've only been living in LEED-certified apartment buildings for the last 10 years. Because of this, we never need to turn on heat in the winter. The summers are a different story and have been getting increasingly hotter, but we have only been using a box fan so far. We'll need to explore our cooling options if the summers get hotter.

Systemic Action: Despite the LEED certification of our building, it still does not have composting. I emailed the apartment management last week to let them know about the Better Buildings program with free compost services for the building and offering to help kickstart things if necessary. I haven't heard back yet and will follow up with them in person if I don't hear back from them by end of week. They are a huge property management firm, so process changes might take a while.

Saving water

In an effort to conserve water in our current drought:Individual action: When waiting for hot water to reach shower head, I run water into a bucket and use the water for plants in and outside the house.Systemic action: I signed up for high water usage notifications from Bellevue Utilities and mentioned it to several friends

small changes

One individual action I have taken is reducing my use of paper towels at home. Instead of automatically reaching for a paper towel when cleaning, I have started using reusable rags that can be washed and used again. It is a simple change, but it reduces the amount of waste I create and has made me more aware of how small everyday habits can add up over time.One systemic action I have taken is encouraging waste reduction at work by identifying opportunities to reduce unnecessary disposable materials and improve how resources are used. This goes beyond changing my own behavior…