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Benefits of Taking the EcoChallenge

Does the environmental news get you down? Are you looking for a way to make a difference? Have your sustainability efforts fallen by the wayside? Have you been searching for a way to engage people in your workplace in sustainability efforts? The EcoChallenge is your chance to take action, create new sustainable habits, and effect change! Join other EcoChallengers, companies committed to increasing sustainability and members of the NWEI community in demonstrating the collective power of many people taking action to create the sustainable future we envision.

The EcoChallenge is open to everyone—we welcome those who have participated in NWEI courses, members of the extended NWEI Network, and anyone interested in taking action on behalf of the planet!

All funds raised during the EcoChallenge will support NWEI’s sustainability education programs. For more information about NWEI check out our website.

Why Should I Take on the EcoChallenge?

Challenge: the EcoChallenge is a chance to push yourself, adopt a new habit, notch up your sustainable lifestyle, and optionally, when you take the EcoChallenge with your coworkers or friends you can challenge each other to work toward a sustainable future!
Community: registering for the EcoChallenge website connects you to a growing community of folks who are making a difference. The EcoChallenge community, like the Northwest Earth Institute is a non-judgmental, supportive group—and we welcome you to join us in our efforts to create a fun, inspirational, habit-forming, sustainable living event! Connect with others who are taking on the EcoChallenge here on the EcoChallenge website, and through NWEI’s Facebook page. Together we can inspire others and be a force for change.
Resources: Creating sustainable new habits should be simple and straightforward. We aim to make your EcoChallenge experience interesting, educative and inspirational, and we will provide the resources necessary to do just that. Once you’ve chosen your EcoChallenge focus area (choose to focus on water, electricity, transportation, food, or garbage) you can browse the resources for that focus—and find ideas, links, calculators and more to create your own personal action plan for the EcoChallenge. If you’re feeling super sustainable, choose more than one EcoChallenge!
Save $: There are many ways to save money by taking on the EcoChallenge—reducing your energy consumption and water use will directly benefit your wallet. Diverting waste to recycling and compost could allow you to reduce the frequency of your trash service—another way to save money! Taking transit Riding Public Transit can save an individual an average of $8,691 a year! (The American Public Transportation Association).
Accomplishment: Completing the EcoChallenge will provide you with a sense of pride and accomplishment—especially if you take on a Challenge you’ve been meaning to work on for a while. Now is your chance to give a new habit a shot—you may find out that it’s easier than you imagined. We also encourage you to share your accomplishment with your friends and family, or better yet, take the EcoChallenge together and celebrate your joint accomplishments!
Fun: If you find yourself thinking of the ways you should be living a greener lifestyle, or saying “I need to _____(fill in the sustainable behavior)” now is the chance to commit, make your chosen EcoChallenge public, and join the EcoChallenge community in what will inevitably provide us with inspiration, humorous anecdotes, and camaraderie. And if that’s not enough, the EcoChallenge Party will conclude the 2010 EcoChallenge and we’d love to see you there!
Prizes!: Fundraising participants who raise $50 or more for NWEI, and will be entered in the EcoChallenge raffle for some fun prizes--stay tuned for details on the raffle prizes.