Am I actually improving my sustainability? Earlier this quarter, I was given the task to measure my sustainability and see what type of sustainability footprint I actually have. My three goals for the quarter were to:

• Purchasing more sustainable, less processed food
• Making a conscious effort to reduce my emissions throughout the week
• Reduce the amount of trash I produce every day

Reflecting on my Goals

I realized that I have actually not been as sustainable as I would like. As I reflected on my goals, I realized that I almost forgot that I was supposed to be working toward a more sustainable way of life.

Goal #1:

The first goal that I had was to purchase more sustainable and less processed foods. I believe that I have actually done a decent job at doing this but I have not been purchasing more organic food. I wanted to start purchasing more organic food, however, I did not do that. For the rest of the quarter, I want to start purchasing more organic food and continue to work toward not purchasing as much processed foods.

Goal #2:

Making a conscious effort to reduce my emissions throughout the week. This has improved mildly. It is still very tempting to go out and about, however, my roommates and I have made a more conscious effort to go out together to get all of our errands done. We have also worked on trying to not go as many places each day.

Goal #3:

My last goal has also slightly improved but not consciously as much as I had hoped. My goal was to reduce the amount of trash I produce every day and while I do believe that I have not been using as much garbage, I do not think it is as reduced as it could be. I can improve this by continuing to be more conscious of the amount of garbage (both garbage and recycle) that my household continues to produce.

New Goal

A new goal that I have for myself is to use less electricity by not leaving devices plugged in and lights on. I will do this by not allowing my devices to sit for hours on end plugged in charging when they are already fully charged. I will also ensure that my lights are turned off when I am not in a room and it is unoccupied by all of my roommates.

Conclusion

Overall, my sustainability footprint is getting much better, but it is not by any means where I would like it to be. Through the rest of the quarter, I will work to create a more sustainable footprint and work toward living a more sustainable lifestyle.