Reflection

Over the past 12 weeks I have seen some fantastic changes in the behaviour and attitude of our household. I was actually really surprised how much improvement I saw on the EPA Eco Footprint Calculator. Our main areas of improvement were recycling and water usage which I spoke about in weeks 4 and 6 of my blog. However, I have been using my car a lot more often, as it is much faster and more convenient when travelling long distances to see my partner. I try and carpool as much as possible which I spoke about in week 7. The most dramatic area of reduction according to the EPA Footprint was mobility which improved because I have been commuting a lot less frequently by train and staying in the local area more often. Our waste remained almost completely the same at around 3.5kg per day.

To support my current lifestyle it now takes 3.4 global hectares of the Earth’s productive area. This is comparatively very impressive to the Victorian average of 6.8 productive hectares.

Services 29% 
Since it has been getting colder we have been using the heating system quite a bit at night time when the house gets cold. Our services went up by 3% over the duration of the semester.

Food 26%
Food habits in the household have really not changed at all. As a household we do not consume much meat at all and try to avoid packaged goods when possible. We shop at the Footscray markets for organic fruit and vegetables as a mentioned in my blog post from week 6 on food. Our food area on the EPA eco footprint rose by 1%.

Shelter 23%
Our shelter percentage rose by 4% on the eco footprint. As I spoke about in my plan, our house is new and fairly economic. When I can financially support myself more I would love to switch to a green energy company and install solar panels (which my parents have in their home in Tasmania).

Mobility 12%
I have started driving quite a lot more and catch the train less as I travel long distances across the city every week and driving is far more time-efficient. I still try and carpool as much as possible on trips such as grocery shopping/op shopping (week 7). I do not completely understand why my mobility dropped from 24% to 12%, but I think it is because I have been commuting a lot less than I was at the start of the year, even if I do drive the car when I commute.

Goods 10%
We have been doing a lot more second hand op-shopping for any household essentials we might need (week 5). Our goods footprint rose by 1%.

Overall I am really pleased with the outcome of the challenge and feel really proud that I was able to make such considerable sustainable changes to my lifestyle. Hopefully this blog will be helpful for others to read and make some of the same changes in their own lifestyles.