The word sustainability is a popular catch-all word used in everything we seem to do. Nevertheless, what does it really mean? According to the Oxford Dictionary, it has two parts:

• The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level
• Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.

However, the general understanding is the ability to pursue a common ideal of using natural resources (renewable)to promote health, living, using environmental-friendly with the least amount of harm to the eco-sociable living space. This should be a target of each person to decrease waste, promote self-sustainable living. 

Personal Sustainability: In Girl Scouts, we practiced, take only what you need, and leave everything better than when you found it. So how do we practice personal sustainability? 

My sustainable journey consisted of six different areas to focus:

• Reuse:
  1. Revitalize soil
  2. Revamp clothes
  3. Reuse packaging
  4. Don’t throw anything away, without first evaluating if it can be used in a different way
• Consume
  1. Verify each new product I buy is sustainably produced and can be recycled
  2. Have a place for everything
  3. Avoid plastic packaging, use paper, take own bags.
• Nutrition
  1. Gradually change into more plant-based diet favoring seasonal and local fruits and vegetables.
  2. Prepare my own food using menus and grocery lists
  3. Grow my own food
  4. Eliminate food waste, buy in bulk if needed, compost 
• Personal Care
  1. Take care of my clothes, shoes, bags and accessories by maintaining them and repairing them to make them look and last longer.
  2. Make or buy second hand
  3. Do own alterations on clothes
  4. Develop daily “uniform” for at home clothes
• Resource Efficiency
  1. Separate trash, recycle, reuse, reduce amounts of gas used (bought hybrid car)
  2. Garden
  3. Cleanliness 
• Travel
  1. Organize shopping trips for fuel efficiency map
  2. Shop only once weekly
  3. Make lists
  4. Cut down on traveling